right...sweetcorn....?

[twinmum2]

hi everyone,

as most of you know, my first sweetcorn attempts went mouldy. then my attempt on damp kitchen towel in the airing cupboard went mouldy too. so i have a new batch and i need to get a move n as i wanted to plant them in the 'three sisters' method as i'm running out of space and my beans are raring to go. so, my question is, what do you suggest is the best way to germinate them? i'm thinking possibly do 5 or 6 different ways so i may get 4 viable seedlings from the lot?!! i would love your suggestions please! x

[Two_Sheds]

Fresh seed
soak overnight in cold water
sow into pots (2 per pot, nip off the weakest one)
keep warm day & night


If yours are going mouldy, they are too wet & possibly too cold as well.

[kate&rob]

i've never had any problem germinating them in loo rolls, soaked mine over night last year but not previous years and all have germinated. i don't plant mine till begining of next month, don't want to be too early and them to get caught out by a late frost.

[tamsin]

I put a piece of damp kitchen roll (folded into quarters) on a saucer, put sweetcorn on it, put whole thing in sandwich bag, put it somewhere warm and 48hrs later they had 1/2" long roots so potted them into paper pots. The couple that didn't germinate went mouldy but not until about 4 days after starting.

[shirlthegirl43]

I sow mine in jiffy pots - one per pot. I sowed mine last week and have been very surprised how quickly they have shot up!!

To be honest though, not sure that your corn will get underway quickly enough for a three sisters system. It might be worth purchasing some from Homebase or similar to sacrifice to the three sisters bed (I have read that the beans overpower the corn and you can't get at the cobs to harvest them)

[Demeter]

Beans grow much more quickly than corn. I would wait until your sweetcorn are ready to plant out and THEN think about sowing the bean seeds - give the corn a chance to get to a sensible size before the beans go crazy.
At least, that's my plan (if I get around to 3 sisters this year, which may not happen lol)

[Demeter]

This is my first time growing sweetcorn from seed (we bought plants last year) and all I did was stick them in the compost... They were in rootrainers, indoors, and 19 out of 28 grew (20 appeared, but one shrivelled up and died, only 19 survived). Sowed them in damp compost, but did not water until they started growing. The first ones appeared after about 7 to 10 days.

[onefivenine]

I just sowed some yesterday in a headed propagator. I'm sure the seed packet said 15-20 degrees for germination so hopefully that's not the wrong place to sow them!

[Alice]

I've got the opposite problem, I think.
I started mine early as I wanted them to be a good size to plant out - 5 to 6 inches.
They germinated straight away amd romped on.
They are now 3 feet high in big pots in my conservatory.
My last frost date is end of May.
I can see disaster looming.
The operation was a success, but the patient died, if you get my drift.
I'm torn between plant them out and take the chance with fleece
or
keep them in the conservatory (I do have plenty of space) and let them come to fruition there. Jings, 8 feet high and pollen everywhere.
Should I just compost them now ? Or what ?

[Scottishnewbie]

Hi Alice, not too far away from you here in Fife (Cupar area) so know how you feel. I planted out my early peas a couple of days ago and I think they might drown with all the rain we've been having! Can you plant them somewhere sheltered and maybe wrap fleece round them on the cooler nights? No idea other than that I'm afraid!

Laura

[Jillyreeves]

First time growing sweetcorn for me, but read all the advice on here, soaked them overnight and planted up 34 of them in loo roll middles a couple of days ago. Hoping to get at least half germination as planning a 2 sisters bed with courgettes.

[twinmum2]

thanks everyone, off to soak i go!

[butter fingers]

less than half my sweetcorn have germinated and then a few of those looked close to croaking it, but they recovered.
i have now sown another lot in modules and awaiting there turn in the heated propogator,its in use with bean replacements for other bean failures.

[Alice]

Your practicaly my neighbour Scottishnewbie.
Yes, it could come to a fleece tent for the corn although I'm not sure how good that would be if we had really bad weather - snow in may - it does happen. I just hadn't bargained for them growing so quickly in the conservatory. I've made a note for myself to delay their planting next year.
Haven't had all that rain. Been very dry really - Ive had to put the sprinkler on to water the peas. The problem I have with the peas is the blinkin' nuisance sparrows won't leave them alone. They pull the leaves off the whole time. I've had to put a net over them or there will be nothing left.

[Welsh Wizard]

My first dozen sweetcorn plants are outside and romping away, over 18 inches tall already. I have put a thick mulch of grass clippings down which is keeping the weeds down. Another 18 are in the greenhouse waiting time to plant out. The runner beans have been sown in modules and I have 2 squashes in the greenhouse, so its looking good right now. The only problem is going to be fitting in all the plants in the border bed!