Daft sweetcorn question

[noidea]

Hullo! I don't know what I would do without this forum!

My mum had brought me 2 sweetcorn plants from a garden centre. They are now about 6 inches tall and are in 3 inch pots. They both have about 4-5 little plants in them.....

I was going to plant them on but didn't know if I should seperate them or plant them all on together?(the contents of each pot I mean) I thought that eventually they do have to be close together but just not sure what to do in between....

Help!

C

[TEB]

Hi C,
being as you are located in the frozen North I would put them individually into bigger pots, careful as you pot on as sweetcorn are shallow roted. Then when all risk of frost is passed they can be planted out in blocks (coz they are wind pollinated, unless they are minipop). Sweetcorn likes fall sun and lots of water.

PS Not to close - mine are planted about 18" apart but you can get away with a bit closer, some of the grapes are doing companion planting, search the forum for three sisters which is a method whereby you grow sweetcorn along with french beans and squash.

[rustylady]

Sweetcorn need to be grown as individual plants, so pot them on individually. When planting out time comes, you need to know which variety you are growing as planting distances vary. I understand Minipop can be planted 10" apart, while some of the bigger varieties need 18" apart. All sweetcorn should be grown in blocks rather than rows as they are wind-pollinated. If there's no wind when the flowers (grassy looking) open then tap the plants - this will release pollen which will hopefully fall onto the "silks" and pollinate them.

[JennieAtkinson]

[QUOTE=TEB;99964]Hi C,
being as you are located in the frozen North ......... /QUOTE]

Edinburgh - the frozen north?

[TEB]

definitely from my perspective, which would make your area the Arctic tundra

[noidea]

It does feel like the frozen North up here sometimes.. esp when you are all talking about putting things out all the time! I have friends in Inverness... that is definately the frozen North!

We suffer from a crazy wind from the Firth of Forth at the moment.. causing much more trouble than the cold.

I have seperated the sweetcorn into individual pots and they seem much happier today!

C

[noidea]

LOL! Jennie I just noticed where you are!

You win!



C

[JennieAtkinson]

I am growing Tundra cabbage this year - I thought that would be most appropriate!

[Caithness Gardener]

definitely from my perspective, which would make your area the Arctic tundra

Actually only the real heights of the Cairngorms qualify as arctic tundra!

[Alice]

Am I in the frozen north too Teb. My curcubits don't think so, and neither does my raised bed.





And I forgot to tell the peppers where they were before I ate them last week. Latitude is not the only factor.