sweetcorn

[Pumpkin Becki]

I find it is very easy to overwater peas, beans and sweetcorn. What I tend to do, with good results, is to plant in multi purpose as it comes from the bag and not to water untill I see some growth. I find that there is enough moisture in the compost without putting any water on at all.

Ian

Yep, that's just what I do too

[Mike and Louise]

Yep 3 weeks is way too long.

We sowed ours on April 5th in a heated propagator and they germinated by April 8th.

By April 9th they were about 2" high.

Pics on our site if you wanna look.

[Lavenderblue]

mine are in loo rolls, they went into an unheated propogator in the spare, north facing room. They popped up really quickly, I was surprised about how quickly they appeared. They are now on the downstairs windowsill, enjoying the sunshine. Got 100% germination as well.

[sallym]

I put mine in paper pots (after an overnight soak), in the heated propagator on Sunday. They were up last night (that's 2 days).

Two Sheds, I have grown mine in paper pots, is it ok to leave them in these until its time to plant out? I was a bit concerned that the pots weren't deep enough. The pots are approx 8cm high, the plants are already around 16cm.

[rob the roller]

Sweetcorn can be slow to start. I have on two occasions called the seed suppliers to complain about their product only to find it has come up a few days afterwards.

The best method I have found has been to sow individual seeds in multi purpose compost in stiff paper or fibre pots. Water well and put the trays in a warm place in front of a window in the house - my office is on the fourth floor and has a south facing window which is ideal. Prevent from drying out (in practice give a little water at least once a day). You should have the first seeds germinating in a week or so.

You can started them in an unheated greenhouse, but expect a long delay and there is the risk of rot.

[Lavenderblue]

Sweetcorn disaster

My carefully nurtured, hardening off, sweetcorn plants have been sat on and destroyed by a blinkin' cat. I am somewhat disapointed. Is it too late to plant more - we can borrow a tiny bit of greenhouse to get them going but its not long before i would start planting them out.

Flipping cat, I could kick its backside!

[janeyo]

I hope it's not too late I only sowed mine yesterday into pots. Mine say to sow in May (applause variety).
Last year they got really pot bound when I was waiting for decent weather to put them out.

[Lottieval]

I don't think it's too late, I only sowed mine a week ago. Last year I sowed them in two batches about a month apart so that they didn't all come at once. Come to that you could sow them straight into the soil, some of the packets say to do this, but as it's still pretty chilly they'd probably germinate sooner inside.

[zazen999]

I remember having to resow last May because my babies got wind blustered and they caught up with the ones that survived the wind blustered ones.......they soon catch up once it gets warm.

[rogesse]

I had to resow twice last year because of the cat - she ate them down to stumps.

Still time to sow more

[Snadger]

Just sown a second batch of F1 sweetcorn I got from Netto's at 19p per packet.
At that price I thought 'What the heck'!

[Alice]

Hard one Lavenderlou. I would have thought it was a bit late - but seems maybe not.

I planted mine early to try and get a head start - short growing season here.
But I hadn't bargained for how much they would love growing in the conservatory.
They're 3 to 4 feet high and running out of all the pot space I can give them.

I can see a bad end coming.
Plan is
Plant them out - if I can get a dry day - and protect with fleece - a bit dodgy.
And resow and start again - at this date - a bit dodgy.

Have made note for next year.
Hope it works out well for you.
Was it someone elses cat ???? Blinkin nuisances .

[COMPOST CORNER]

I started mine on Monday. I can reccomend germinating them in moist kitchen paper in the airing cupboard or heated propogator.. I did this with mine and had half inch shoots wednesday night, potted them up in loo roll tubes last night, back in the airing cupboard,When I came home from work today, the shoots were up and have been moved to a sunny window sill for a few days there, then into the greenhouse 'til first weekend in June when they will go out all being well weatherwise.

[Lavenderblue]

It wasn't my cat - he lives 30 miles away with my Mum. I would feel a bit more forgiving if it were him that had squashed my corn.

[Lemon]

I usually just sow directly into the ground where I want 'em. Worked past two years.....Not sown this years yet - have F1 Lark to try this time. Have also ordered mini-pop to grow - it's baby sweetcorn.