Sweetcorn (after germination!)

[smallblueplanet]

(Thanks to the other thread!) I didn't realise they might be tricky to germinate - so they were just put in rootrainers, watered and left. 10 out of 15 thru no problems, had a firkle around and 2 were trying to grow aussie-style, so pointed them in the right direction! So 12 out of 15 growing okay.

But one of them has a 'problem' on its leaf - it looks to me like I might have overwatered it? What sort of conditions do sweetcorn like between now and being planted out (whenever that is?), I've put them in the g/h - can they stay there overnight? Thanks guys.

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't think they will need the greenhouse Manda. Mine are sat outdoors the moment they germinate and get about an inch tall. I water when they are dry - same as everything else. Oh, watch out for the slimies - they like sweetcorn grass

[Cutecumber]

Manda - I think it could be over-watering. Mine sometimes suffer like that too. It's not easy to get it right, even with root trainers. They should be ok - just let them dry out a bit.

[jackie j]

Glad my sweetcorn looks the same as yours ( apart from the problem ) smallblueplanet.

[smallblueplanet]

Manda - I think it could be over-watering. Mine sometimes suffer like that too. It's not easy to get it right, even with root trainers. They should be ok - just let them dry out a bit.

Yeah, I thought it might be that, so why have I just gone and watered everything in the g/h, including the corn???!

Best place for them whilst in rootrainers CC, in the g/h or outside?

[Cutecumber]

Well, mine are still in the greenhouse (in rootrainers) but they've yet to pop up.

When most have appeared I'll put them outside as long as it's still mild.

I wouldn't plant them yet, but they'll be ok outdoors if you can bring them back in as necessary. Keep them sheltered from the wind and off the ground if you can.

[smallblueplanet]

...Keep them sheltered from the wind and off the ground if you can.

I'll keep them in the g/h then. Off the ground cos of 'slimies' as shirley puts it?!

[snuffer]

Sweetcorn

As I do every year, I have only just planted my sweetcorn. They go into
15x15x20cm pots outside and stay there until the broad beans have finished. Once the beans have been cleared I dig over the ground adding a few hands full of bone meal as I do it. The sweetcorn is then planted into this bed and well watered. Done the same thing for the last few years and never had any problems.

Like all the books say, 'if you want sweetcorn at its best GYO'. You really can't beat it can you.

[smallblueplanet]

Interesting thanks snuffer, do you mean one corn per pot, and about when are your broad beans finished then? Ours have a long way to got before they get beans!

[smallblueplanet]

The 'problem' leaf now seems okay and 11 of the 12 are growing well. There's one smaller one that suffered from overwatering and root rot, but it might catch up later?

How big can I let them get before they're planted out? I presume I'm waiting for 'frost-free' nights?

[crichmond]

Hi Manda

I just planted some of mine out last weekend and they were the size yours are, I just put some slug stoppa (organic repellent) round them and they havent been nibbled yet.

[garygc2008]

My corns been out for about 3 weeks now, have i just been lucky? their about 4" tall. I sowed 40, and they all came up!

[Shortie]

Oh boy, total sweetcorn novice here. I only sowed my seeds this week in peat pots...

But thanks for the tip snuffer about the broad beans, I'll do that next year. I have waaaaaaaaaaay too many sweetcorn sown for the teenie broad bean patch

[norazina]

I have soaked mine sweetcorn for 2 days and them left them to sprout on wet kitchen towel - checked this morning and yey! most of them sprouted...guess what I'll be doing this evening after work...questions though, do I plant them with sprout downwards or? (never grown sweetcorn before)

[Novice Gardener]

Can anyone offer any advice here? I sowed my sweetcorn in peat pots almost 3 weeks ago and still no sign of them, so I had a bit of a rummage in one of the pots this morning and there are some roots starting to grow - not that big, but at least they're there. There was no sign of a shoot, but is this normal. Do you think the shoot will come now the roots are forming? (dohhhh, I know I sound real stupid asking this)