You wanna know how to germinate sweetcorn?

[binley100]

Loo rolls, compost, water , kitchen window sill ...everyone up roots steaming away out the bottom , now in the cold frame and growing by the minute... no problem ...
Shame I can't do the same with me carrots .

[falkon]

pre germination will work best for this but if still want to sow the seeds then make sure that you donot sow the seed deeply..infact just below the surface or even if a little part of seed is visible is also ok.. keep the compost lightly moist and keep in place where it wont dry out...

[Paulottie]

Ice cream box , tissue, airing cupboard into loo rolls and 3" pots....very successful...yes I have normally been successful just into 3" pots and propagator in the past... but the few times I haven't and its a hell of a waste of compost and washed pots space and effort....especially as i am doing hundreds this year

Next seventy going in tonight.

[Freaya]

20 incredible F1 from wilkinsons, a few squares of kitchen paper and a little water. All into a plastic zippy bag and left atop the tropical fishtank. 100% in two days, planting on at 3 or 4 days.

Another beginers luck I think, my first 10 are now enjoying the sun in the mini tunnel (bring in if needed) and doing well. I read somewhere that they do their growing at night so it is fun going out each day to see how much further they have grown.

[Lazgaot]

Ice cream box , tissue, airing cupboard into loo rolls and 3" pots....very successful...yes I have normally been successful just into 3" pots and propagator in the past... but the few times I haven't and its a hell of a waste of compost and washed pots space and effort....especially as i am doing hundreds this year

Next seventy going in tonight.

This is what I do, though far less than 70 at a time!

[CaroltheCarrot]

can i ask a stupid question?
do you put more damp kitchen roll over the seeds then cover or just leave them bare

[womble]

That's not a stupid question, I only put it underneath, but I suspect you could do either. Underneath I would have thought was better for sweetcorn, as they don't get too wet and the top layer won't go all floppy on the seeds.

[CaroltheCarrot]

That's not a stupid question, I only put it underneath, but I suspect you could do either. Underneath I would have thought was better for sweetcorn, as they don't get too wet and the top layer won't go all floppy on the seeds.

thanks womble off to do it now,had 40 in coir pots in gh but they all popped their clogs

[Nykied]

All 12 mine have germinated, just stuck them in peat pots, watered them and stuck them on the windowsill.

[CaroltheCarrot]

womble you are a star 35 popped in cupboard 35 little shoots big yay to you

[sunnymay10]

Another daft question, where to put them after they have germinated? Mine have all
sprouted like the rest of you, but isn't it a bit too early in the ground, so is it still pots
until a bit later, new to sweetcorn, so any advice is very welcome, thanks.

sunnymay.

[hayles]

Potting Germinated Sweetcorn

hi, completely new to sweetcorn. once seeds have germinated when sown womble's way, how exactly to pot them? do i put germinated seeds in compost (seed compost or general purpose?) in pots in the same way as if i was sowing them traditional way, i.e., put them on moist compost in pots, cover with dry compost to the same depth advised by seed packets for sowing? please please help. thanks!

btw, sowed my cucumber and watermelon seeds womble's way on evening of 10 May, put the plate in the airing cupboard (max. temp 25C), and they germinated this morning! in under 2 days! what a fantastic way to beat the cold May weather! thanks a lot, womble, and everyone else who have contributed to this forum!

[rustylady]

You stick it on a plate with kitchen paper on it, water the paper with WARM water and cover with cling film

Worked for me too, after pathetic germination rates in compost last year. Put mine on kitchen towel in plastic storage tubs on the kitchen windowsill - brilliant.

[matjam]

I always try and use damp kitchen paper for sweetcorn. I also used this method for testing the viability of some old pepper seeds I had so I didn't waste compost on them if they didn't do anything.

Cheers,
Matt

[Jeanied]

Great tip, Womble - it worked for me. Two platefulls in the airing cupboard - rooted in a few days. Carefully transplanted into loo roll tubes, kept in the kitchen for a few days longer and all now sending up their first shoots. They are going into my new blowaway plastic greenhouse till the weather improves a bit. I am pleased with this method as I had much better luck this year than last. Having said that I am also pleased with the variety which always seem to do well - 'Incredible' from Wilcos. And some of Sarraceniac's blue corn did well too!