Unhappy Sweetcorn, help!

[Kio]

Hi, this is the third gardening forum i've joined as so far nobody has been able to offer any real advice that has been correct or solved the issue, even my local big garden centre is clueless.

I decided to grow Sweetcorn this year (Incredible F1 variety) and Butternut Squash. The Squash is doing great by the looks of things, the sweetcorn isn't. It was growing absolutely fine to start with it, some are in large pots and the majority are in the ground, however about 2 weeks ago the new growth started to suffer what appears to be chlorosis, yellow stripes, it's all across the leaf and is not consistent with Nitrogen deficiency which was first suggested.

The newest leaves and shoots are almost completely white! Growth is now extremely slow, almost halted. The only other visual clues are the very edges of the leaves appear to have a red border, it's a very very thing red border and isn't getting large, alos there is slight puckering at the edges of leaves.

The latest attempt to fix it was Epsom salts thinking it might be sulphur or magnesium deficiency, so far it does not appear to be helping at all, all the large plants are affected and younger ones are getting increasingly so. The only pests I can see after very close examination are greenfly which I squish and their damage is clear and seperate.

[greasyfire]

Have you tried liquid feed, or are there any aphids and etc on them.

[Kio]

I've tried a complete liquid feed and lawn fertilizer (higher in nitrogen), tried different combinations on different plants, no change. There are aphids (greenfly) on them, I squish them like i say but they are on the older green leaves and show seperate damage, this white leaf issue is a growing problem, they now grow like that.

[zazen999]

Which feeds and which fertilisers did you use?

Personally, I think it's the pots; they soon run out of nutrients and they like being nice and deep in soil.

[Kio]

I've used Doff plant and veg granules, liquid fruit and veg fertilizer and B&Q lawn liquid fertilizer and the epsom salts. Not all at the same time, different ones on each, some i've used a combination. It's not just the pots though, I only have 6 in pots, and a whole lot more in the soil that were planted there once they'd started in a seed tray, they suffer the exact same fate.....the ground had compost forked into it prior to planting too.

[teakdesk]

Water, water, water.... sweetcorn needs lots of water!!!


However, I wonder how sheltered they are. Sweetcorn doesn't like wind.

If you look at fields of sweetcorn the plants near the edge are smaller and yellow because they are exposed to the wind. The plants further into the field are sheltered by the outer plants and grow green and taller.

The plants in pots will have no shelter and you may not have enough plants in the ground to provide shelter to the others.

[greasyfire]

My sweetcorn are in full sun, and they are surrounded by squash and pumpkin to add support and a wind breaker, before i planted my sweetcorn i dumped a whole bag of compost on the plot, and i put greenwaste 2ft dorn for slow release nutrients. I hardly use fertilisers, and when i use them its just tomoto feeder and plus its but taken up by the greedy squash. Yet they are doing quite fine and this is my first year growing them.

So then maybe it is something to do within your garden soil that is affecting your sweetcron, or is it just the variety that you are using.

[Guzzik]

Sounds like a virus methinks?? Might be worth while looking up Sweetcorn Viruses online.

[Kio]

Hmm, well as nothing I do seems to make any difference and the only virus or bugs that match are corn fleas (definately don't have them) or white moasaic virus which again i'm 99% it isn't. I'm starting to wonder if it's something as simple as over watering, causing deficiency. I started off by just spray them with a hose briefly once in the evening, but several friends were round on different days when I did this and said I was way way under watering them in this weather and to give them a good soaking each night. Things started to go before then but definately have got worse and haven't improved since. Maybe I should back off with water completely for a few days?

[zazen999]

I have no idea as I never water my sweetcorn. They seem to grow in the driest conditions here, and I never feed them either.

[King Carrot]

Which feeds and which fertilisers did you use?

Personally, I think it's the pots; they soon run out of nutrients and they like being nice and deep in soil.

this, are the ones in the soil the same?

[Two_Sheds]

Water, water, water.... sweetcorn needs lots of water!

I've read that, but I don't think it's true

I never water my sweetcorn. They seem to grow in the driest conditions here, and I never feed them either.

I've never fed them, always get lots, and have only just started to water them now that we're having this heatwave/drought.

[Comfreyfan]

Like TS I've never fed my sweetcorn, only water if it's very dry (like now) and mine often have yellow stripey leaves (the plants this year do) - must admit I've always assumed it's the variety or too much/not enough sun etc and left them to get on with it, always had plenty of sweetcorn. I have seen a recommendation to feed with a tomato feed - higher in potassium lower in nitrogen, but I've never tried it.

[Jeanied]

Kio my sweetcorn - same variety - looks pretty similar to your photo but it is a bit smaller because I was late getting it out into the ground. I wouldn't worry - it will catch up with itself - just water it once or twice a week while it is so dry. I have just started to mound the earth up round the base of the stems as well to give a bit of extra support.

[taff]

I've got a bi-coloured variety that look the same, if not quite as pronounced. They're in the soil that was heavily fresh horse manured a few weeks before planting. They usually have a slight crinkle to the outside of the newest leaves. Maybe a chlorophyll deficiency, they need more sun?