Sweetcorn is it too late

[lavender lou]

We planted our sweetcorn seeds and got a really good germination rate and had 36 out of 40 germinate but we have planted them out and they have all died

Is it too late to start some more off?

[indigox]

It is quite late, but probably still worth a try. I would stick them straight into the ground after soaking this time.
Any idea what caused them to die last time? Weather? Pests? Soil? Too much water? Not enough?
It's worth trying your hardest to figure this out so you can prevent it happening again next time.

[Lemon]

'Tis a bit late metinks..... I sow mine direct into the soil - have done past 3 yrs seem ok - get a good germination rate too probably about 75-80% This years are a bit late too and I can see some just pushing themselves out of soil.

Just remembered I got some minipop this year to try and only sowed some yesterday - but these are going to live in a pot away from the sweetcorn Lark F1 I've put in ground.

[ckfe]

i only sowed 4 because i dont have much space in the garden for them and i just wanted to try them without taking up much room.. problem is only 3 have germinated.. i know that they're supposed to be transplanted into blocks for pollination purposes, but seeing as i've only got 3 that's not possible.. will putting them in a triangle work??

[COMPOST CORNER]

Don't see why not, some people plant in a spiral, the reason is to allow as much pollen as possible from the top tassles to land on the forming cobs below. A triangle has to better than a row.

[Two_Sheds]

we have planted them out and they have all died

did you harden them off?

[rob the roller]

It's very late for sweetcorn. You might be lucky if there's an Indian summer.

I don't normally advocate buying seedlings in, but it might be worth telephoning your local garden centres or going online to see whether anyone has any left. Problem with buying seedlings is that you can't be sure of the variety until harvest (and maybe not even then - I am still wondering what the Desiree-labelled seed potatoes I bought from B&Q 4 years ago actually were, not to mention the tomato plants bought from just about everywhere over the years that never turn out like the ones I have grown myself from seed).

[Reks]

I was at my local B&Q and they had loads of sweetcorn plants to go, maybe u should try one closer to you.

[bluemoon]

I often sow sweetcorn late and we're in a similar part of the world, LL. A lot has to do with variety I think. Try 'Sundance' (Sutton's Seeds do it, so it's available at B&Q, alternatively Wentworth Garden Centre still had some packets yesterday) Chit them first, pop them in a pot when the root is half an inch or so long and you'll have fair sized plants within a week, Harden them off and plant them out by early - mid July and you should have a decent crop by the end of September.

[lavender lou]

Thank you for all of your replies, i thought it was too late to do some more. Its the first proper year growing all different varieties of veg and the first for sweetcorn.

Yes we harden them all off and put them in a bed that had a mixture of rotted down chicken manure, compost and the soil in the back garden and gave them plenty of water on dry days and they had lots on rainy days. lol

They turned yellow and then shrivelled up and died. What did we do wrong?

We have a market 3 times a week in chesterfield and there is a man on there, that had got some the other day and he was selling them 6 plants for £1.50, and they were about 6 inches high so i might go this week and see if he has some left and b and q is not to far from the market and if hasn't any i will pop in there.

i hope they have cos i have just started to like sweetcorn and i was very disappointed when it died so keep your fingers crossed i can get some.

Thanks again

[darkcrystal]

two sheds what do you mean

did you harden them off?

what do you mean by harden them off?

[Alison]

what do you mean by harden them off?

If you take plants out of a nice cosy warm environment and straight into the big bad cold world they don't like it at all and at the minimum stall in their growing and at worst can give up and die. You need to "harden off" for a couple of weeks by putting them outside for the day and back at night and gradually building up the exposure before you plant out properly.

[lavender lou]

been to chesterfield market today and got 32 sweetcorn plants for £2 bargin or what, could have spend a fortune on the stall he got everything you could think of. Will try these and hopefully they won't die!!!

[rob the roller]

Did the seller tell you what variety they are? Worth asking. If it's one you like you can grow the same next year, if not...

[bluemoon]

Chesterfield market, eh? Can't say I've even been there, but it might be worth a trip. Thanks, LL.