Sweetcorn - when do you plant out?

[Rhona]

Old chap on our first allotment has his sweetcorn planted in the ground, over a foot high by mid-April every year. Mr R sneaked a look a couple of weeks ago and confirmed that once again, it's there, in great shape. He plants in a block, spacings about 16 inches. Don't know really how he does it, but he gets a successful early crop every year.

[COMPOST CORNER]

You should have seen this garden I went to earlier this week Fi.

They are a fully self sufficient community - and they leave no prisoners when it comes to packing the veg in.

The leeks were being harvested and they were packed so close you couldn't get a fag paper in between them. I think they grow in modules and just plant them out module by module [a bit like I already do spring onions] and they just push each other apart. No dibbing with x inches in between. No siree!!!

I am hoping to go back in a few months to have another look when the veg is in full flow. It was a beautiful sight the way they grow things.

Sounds great, was this a private viewing or is this place open to the public?

[zazen999]

Sounds great, was this a private viewing or is this place open to the public?

Private...or I'd definitely name them and give them publicity.

[womble]

Old chap on our first allotment has his sweetcorn planted in the ground, over a foot high by mid-April every year. Mr R sneaked a look a couple of weeks ago and confirmed that once again, it's there, in great shape. He plants in a block, spacings about 16 inches. Don't know really how he does it, but he gets a successful early crop every year.

That sounds amazing and contrary to everything we are always told.
I have to admit not experimenting with sweetcorn much, so it's always interesting to see what other people do.

Maybe you could ask him how he does it?

[binley100]

When we were in France last year there was loads of fields of corn and they are planted a lot closer than what the seed packets recommend. In fact it looked like they were only 6-8" apart.

[pjh75]

Most things I plant outside are closer than the reccomendations and so far I've never had a problem with sweetcorn.

[zazen999]

Old chap on our first allotment has his sweetcorn planted in the ground, over a foot high by mid-April every year. Mr R sneaked a look a couple of weeks ago and confirmed that once again, it's there, in great shape. He plants in a block, spacings about 16 inches. Don't know really how he does it, but he gets a successful early crop every year.

I've put sweetcorn in early before, but I suppose it depends on your microclimate as well as how big they are when they go out; as ours got windburn and shrivelled up.

[Bigmallly]

Last week I put 5 mini corn per square foot as on a domino. They are about 8" tall. More have been sowed as backup in case they don't make it.

[Flummery]

Farmers here put corn in close together - but they are harvesting for winter forage for the cows. When the corn is very ripe - too dry to eat as sweetcorn, they cut it and chop it and blow it into huge long poly bags - about the thickness of a round straw bale and about 40 ft long - to keep for winter. Too close isn't a good way to maximise cobs, I don't think.

[jackyspratty]

At our first lotty, the queen of corn had hers outside last week to plant this week. We are watching to see what she does. She says she uses a maize variety rather than a sweet corn and did put huge amounts of manure on the corn bed. Will be interstesting to see how she plants them?

We have strawberry popcorn F1 in the poly at the mo, in 3" pots, about an inch high at the most. We want to try the 3 sisters approach at lotty 1, and hoefully underplant with squash, with a bean we hope to dry climbing up it. Ive not done this before.Hopefully will have enough seed from the bean for the seed saving circle. Last year our corn was a disaster, not one cob! But it was a pretty wet Summer. Fingers crossed this year will be better?

At the new plot we want to do swift corn but we haven't sown it yet, am running out of space in the polytunnel!

[chris]

Are they deep rooting crops? Just wondering if mine will be ok in the bog rolls for another 2 weeks odd ! Realy hope I get a good crop, as I love corn on the cob!

[reetnproper]

I planted the sweetcorns 12- 14inches apart last year (much to OHs concern) and they did really well. Had pumpkins and squashes rambling beneath them.

Reet
xx

[sarraceniac]

I planted my Zea mays (the grand-daddy of sweetcorn) out last week in a 12" apart group. So far it is looking fine. I'm advised that we should have said goodbye to frost for 2010 in this area so that is good enough for me.

[zazen999]

I planted my Zea mays (the grand-daddy of sweetcorn) out last week in a 12" apart group. So far it is looking fine. I'm advised that we should have said goodbye to frost for 2010 in this area so that is good enough for me.

Lucky you - we had frosts here 4 mornings last week

[chris]

The roots are out the bottom of the loo rolls.. have I sown them too eary? Would it be worth me planting them out and covering with something?