Transplanting sweetcorn

[Beki]

I've read that sweetcorn don't like their roots disturbed.

However, i've got 37 sweetcorn in cells on my living room windowsill which are starting to lean slightly, no matter how often i turn them. They're between 3 and 8 inches tall now, with 3 to 4 large leaves each.

So i'm thinking they need to be potted on now. But how do i get around the root disturbance?

In hindsight, i should have left it a lot later to sow (even though i followed packet instructions!) and sowed them in paper pots so i could then transplant directly into the ground when the weather was a bit warmer.

But i didn't.. soooo..... help please?! lol.. Will they be ok to go into a bigger pot, then into the ground in a couple of months?

[zazen999]

Hi

AAh- the old moving sweetcorn malarkey.

You are right, they don't like their roots to be disturbed. i have found that if you move them and they lose the original corn; they seem to lose the will to live. If you can move them with the original corn intact then they seem to survive. That might be just mine - but that's what seems to happen with me.

I would find some nice 3 inch pots, and turn each cell out individually and plant up as deep as you can. I did manage to pot on 10 in one 3 inch pot that I got from a GC once, and 9 survived; so if you are careful it can be done.

the other tip is to sow in batches; sweetcorn will all come ready at once, and have 70 ears [as each cob could produce 2 ears] to eat in one week is quite heavy going!!!

I usually put 4 lots of 12 in - 3 weeks apart to try and lengthen the season.

Good luck!!!

[Farmer_Gyles]

last year i started mine in cells and potted on into 3.5" pots and planted out when they were about 8" tall - didn't have time to prepare the ground so they went in as they were - all seemed to grow fine, got plenty of cobs, still got loads in the freezer

[Alison]

Last year was the first year I grew it as I can't stand the stuff - gave in to OH who loves it! Only sowed my seeds in mid April (and will be doing the same this year as it worked last !) in root trainers and they were quite happy in those until I planted them out. Think I started them off in the conservatory (cool) and then moved them into an unheated greenhouse until some time in late May when they made it into the garden by which time they were nigh on a foot tall but very sturdy.

[Beki]

Well, the deed is done! I managed to save all but one (i snapped it lol), and all with roots totally intact too

I'm offering 12 of them on seed swap if anyone's interested, as i realised that i really haven't got enough room for more than 24 of them...

Thanks for the advice! xxxx

[si'sraisedbed]

Interesting that in the April issue of the magazine they have a picture of sweetcorn seedlings being planted out a good 10cm tall from what look like small seed modules.... see page 10, i wonder how those will get on?