Running late with sweetcorn planting

[Reks]

Hi All,
I need your expert advice here. I have sweetcorn in small pots and they are over 6 inches tall with roots growing through the bottom of the pots. To plant these on my allotment I have to dig he next bed and looking at the speed at which we dug our previous beds it will take some time especially as the land is now hard due to lack of rains. So I was wondering of a quicker way to get the plants into the ground -

To mark the bed and dig individual holes and plant the sweet corn in it. Maybe I could cover the bed with a weed barrier fabric to stop the grass in the bed from growing ((I have recently mowed the grass on my plot so the grass is short).

Is this sensible or is removing the turf and digging the bed the only way out. I wish there is a easier way out as my OH and I am tired digging But I can't stop not planting more

What should I do? Please help!

[Two_Sheds]

Is the bed covered in grass? If so, you need to remove, or else the grass will simply grow back round the sweetcorn.

Can you give the ground a good soak the night before you dig it? That will help.

[Reks]

Yes it is all grass Soaking is a good idea ....Gosh we have to diggggg Thanks Two Sheds

[Two_Sheds]

Maybe I could cover the bed with a weed barrier fabric to stop the grass in the bed from growing

I'd be doing that anyway, if you eventually intend to plant there. Any form of barrier (cardboard, tarpauline, wet newspapers, old fence panels) will weaken the weeds and make them very much easier to remove

[Seahorse]

I've grown sweetcorn in pots before - from memory, I had four in a pot about 50cm across and they all grew lovely cobs.

[Reks]

Thanks Seahorse. I'll have to get mine into the ground as I already have a warning from my OH on the number of pots I have

[NOG]

I would dig out a trowl full of earth put the corn in then cut a foot square of cardboad and use it as a coller round the plant.

[Snadger]

I would dig out a trowl full of earth put the corn in then cut a foot square of cardboad and use it as a coller round the plant.

Nice one NOG!

[Reks]

I would dig out a trowl full of earth put the corn in then cut a foot square of cardboad and use it as a coller round the plant.

interesting....so the collar will stop the grass around the corn from growing?

[SarzWix]

I had to plant my corn in a bed like that 2 years ago - first I soaked the ground, then loosened the top with a fork, then put a layer of compost over it, then a layer of cardboard, then watered it again, then covered that with straw & then a piece of weed control fabric. Cut holes through and planted the corn into that. Got a reasonable crop and the ground was so much easier to dig after the crop was finished