Grow your own tiny corn cobs for Chinese cooking and casseroles. Harvest delicious tiny, tasty sweet corn, cobs and all, fresh from your garden - so much tastier than the tinned variety. Baby corn are harvested before pollination just as the 'silk tassels' begin to show.

Sow in mid spring 4 weeks before last expected frost in your area, singly ½in deep in 3in pots of compost. Germination usually takes 6-10 days at 70-75F.

Plant out 4-5in apart in rows 8in apart when all danger of frost has passed in blocks of short rows rather than one long row. A warm sheltered position in fertile, moist yet free draining soil is best. Plants will still grow tall, the only thing miniature is the cobs.

Keep free of weeds and water regularly. Harvest the tiny cobs when the silks first show above the husks. What you are harvesting is the immature corn on the cob. Under ideal conditions each plant should bear 4-6 cobs. If you forget to harvest on time a normal sweet corn will be produced but you will have prevented the plant from developing more cobs throughout the season.

Ideal raw, steamed, stir fried or with dips. Also very tasty cooked, then tossed in parsley butter or served with a cream sauce.