Quick Sweetcorn question

[MrLAH]

Hi there,

New to the forum, was just after a piece of advice regarding some sweetcorn I've had in the greenhouse. I've never grown sweetcorn before so not sure on the best way to do it:

Its been in for a few weeks and is now approx 2 inches tall (maybe even a bit taller), now there are numerous plants in a trough-like tray and there are probably 8-10 plants that have sprouted up quite close to each other but I now want to separate them with a view to putting them in the ground when I clear it fully.

Can I put some of the plants in individual pots whilst sufficiently spacing the rest in the trough? Is there a specific method to relocating a young sweetcorn plant?

Thanks,

Lee.

[rustylady]

Sweetcorn aren't too happy about having their roots disturbed, which is why most people sow them in individual pots or modules rather than seedtrays or troughs.

If I were you I would carefully pot up your seedlings into 3" pots and grow them on in those until you are ready to plant out.

[MrLAH]

Hmm, I figured that would be the case, in fact I planted some more a week or two after the originals in individual pots as I knew I had done the first lot incorrectly.

Thanks for your comment, I'll try what you said tomorrow and see how they go.

[rustylady]

Hmm, I figured that would be the case, in fact I planted some more a week or two after the originals in individual pots as I knew I had done the first lot incorrectly.

Thanks for your comment, I'll try what you said tomorrow and see how they go.

You'll have lots of sweetcorn then

[WendyC]

Last year I planted out my sweetcorn much later than usual when the plants were quite big, due to the terrible weather. They took off well and I think I will let them get quite well established before planting out again this year too.

[salome2001]

Good to hear Wendy. I have lots in rootrainers in both the cold frame and on the conservatory. I think I have about 60 plants in all, 4 different varieties. I think I'm going to have a lot of sweetcorn this year (not a problem in our house!!! Bring on the BBQ!!)

[BertieFox]

I'm trying a sweetcorn called Sativa Early (from Chase Organics) which I believe is an open pollinated variety. Does anyone have any experience of growing this? I'm fed up with getting F1 hybrid seed each year which is so expensive for so few seeds when I should be able to collect my own from this one.
We have some large fields of maize growing about half a mile away so I'm hoping these won't pollute my crop as our garden is surrounded by trees and hedges.
Anybody collect their own sweetcorn seed? I tried growing on some F1 collected seed but the result was an abject failure!

[Feral007]

Nope, not yet Bertie. I'm going to be planting my own seed next spring tho. The corn I planted - Golden Bantam I think, did fantastically. Grew really strong and tall in crap soil, and didn't blow over in the wind. And had quite a lot of corn cobs per plant. I'm looking forward to growing more of the same.
I planted mine in small pots then transplanted them, they did well even with the messy transplanting. But others I sowed straight into the ground and they did equally as well.
Really finding it great planting out the seedlings in the toilet rolls tho - they are so easy!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Mine were individually modularised, and were the placed into individual pots. I have eight out of nine, at the moment. As I initially planned to put 9 in a 1m x 1m raised bed. Am waiting for at three more out of 5/6 seeds to germinate; then I will have a block.

And they are growing like triffids. Nearly a foot tall, one of them. They are all at various stages of development. I would like to bring them home in the next week or so, harden them off and then plug in, into the bed at the same time as some squashes. I am hypothesising using 2/3 sisters.

[Samurailord]

I only have two germinations out of 12 seeds planted so far, so I am hoping that I get a few more coming through soon.

I have sown these in a root trainer for the first time, and I am going to sow another dozen or so in toilet roll middles at the end of May to try for a succession crop.

Andy

[MrLAH]

Good to hear about the Golden Bantam as that's what I have planted. It's been raining here all day so haven't had chance to try separate them out of the trough.

I have also had 3 of the newer ones (which have only been in 5 or 6 days), start poking their heads through.

[Chef_uk]

I have sown these in a root trainer for the first time, and I am going to sow another dozen or so in toilet roll middles at the end of May to try for a succession crop.

Andy

I'm doing the succession thing this year but am wondering which way to go with regards to planting them out as they'll be planted at the same time but in what order i do not know. I have 40 plants that are four weeks old and about a foot tall. The other 40 will be sown later this week. I'll plant them all out during the last week of May but am debating whether to mix and match the spacings with big and small or one block of big and another block of small. Any ideas?

[chris]

Sweet corn does need a long season, but freezes really well (I don't Blanche but others do). Personally, I'd just get them planted out/sown if you have the space.

[Stan79]

I'm doing the succession thing this year but am wondering which way to go with regards to planting them out as they'll be planted at the same time but in what order i do not know. I have 40 plants that are four weeks old and about a foot tall. The other 40 will be sown later this week. I'll plant them all out during the last week of May but am debating whether to mix and match the spacings with big and small or one block of big and another block of small. Any ideas?

Last year I planted two batches. The first planted north of the second to ensure the smaller ones got enough sunlight.

[Currysniffa]

I sow mine 5 to a 3" pot in a heated prop. When germinated I move into unheated prop for a couple of days before moving out to the greenhouse. After a couple of days in there I prick out into individual 3" pots. I've been very successive this year. The books say that sweetcorn doesn't like having their roots disturbed but in my experience as long as you're careful and tease the roots apart you'll be ok.