sweetcorn

[Nicos]

We used to grow sweetcorn but as we have badgers in the back field we'd be tempting fate ( badgers adore sweetcorn! ). We certainly don't want a badger digging around on our beds

However- when we did, we didn't have much space to grow lots of little pots undercover- so we sowed 2 per pot.
When they got bigger, we'd very, very carefully tip the pot and shake out the contents and gently gently separate the roots.
I don't think we ever lost one that way- and gave the weaker ones a chance to grow too.

I've had a quick look and as T_S says- you can sow indoors March- May.
Personally I'd leave it a while longer.
What is your location???? Can you please pop it in your profile- cos if you are in S Italy then our answers may well be different!

[Two_Sheds]

you can sow indoors March- May.

... but he needs to consider where he's going to keep those seedlings until they can go outside (late May)

Same with runner & French beans.




Friend, if you are itching to plant something, get some broad beans or onions going.

[Darwin.]

I haven't planted any yet but I always plant seeds singly.

[Alison]

The thing I always find with the sowing two to a module (or whatever) is that you end up with either two germinating or none, very rarely one

Re when to sow, interestingly enough I got talking to a man from the NVS at Tatton Show a couple of years ago about my quite frankly pathetic corn crop the previous year and he asked me when I sowed. I told him late April at the earliest and he was of the opinion that it was far too late and to get a decent crop you needed to sow early (now at the latest!) and grow them on nice and big so that they got a really good head start when you planted them out. His mate was nodding throughout. Tried it that year in deep root trainers and did OK but not sure there was much of an advantage, however they certainly were nowhere near as difficult to hold on to for that period as things like runners as they don't grow anything like as fast.

[Newton]

I sowed two batches last year. First in mid April second mid may.....the crap summer meant the second batch was too late to produce a cob........probably the weather beat me. Might try my first batch early April with the second early may and hope for the sunshine!

[Kaiya]

I sowed my sweetcorn on April 22 2012, one to a module, in a blowaway (so effectively 'coldframe'/outside), then harvested end of August. We had 32 cobs, from about ~28 plants. They were pretty much the only success I had in 2012!

[snakeshack]

I sow mine singly in rootrainers,if I get any that are duds I figure the cost of the compost is less than the seed anyway.thats much better than trying to separate two good ones to plant out with the inevitable root damage and any weak ones can still be culled or more likely given a chance.I think you get les weak ones if planted singly as there is no competition for nutrients in what is necessarily a limited amount of compost.I do the same with beans and climbing peas too.

[sally fran]

badgers adore sweetcorn!

Oh no! We have badgers and I was going to try sweetcorn for the first time this year. Should I not bother? Is there anything I can do to discourage them?

[Harrod Horticultural]

Hi Simon, The advice to sow 2 seeds per module is probably in case one doesn't germinate. Usually you would thin out the weakest seedling. However, I agree with zazen999, sow only one per module. I have never had a problem with germinatiohn and this would be waste of seed. Don't leave 2 growing in the module as they will fight for space and nutrients and you'll end up with 2 weak seedlings instead of 1 good one.

[Nicos]

Oh no! We have badgers and I was going to try sweetcorn for the first time this year. Should I not bother? Is there anything I can do to discourage them?

....electric fence???

You may be OK for the first year or two if there is plenty of other stuff for them to eat.

You've just got to try and wait and see I suppose?...or don't bother

[sally fran]

You may be OK for the first year or two if there is plenty of other stuff for them to eat.

I guess there must be plenty of other food since they haven't eaten any other veg before. The only damage they have done was to rip holes in my poly cloches. I guess I'll take my chances and see what happens...

[Kaiya]

The sweetcorn on the plot next to mine was raided by the badgers, yet they left mine alone - literally about 6 feet apart! No idea why. Luck?

[hilary'smum]

Can I grow minipop sweetcorn (the ones that are eaten as babycorn) in the polytunnel. Do they need fertilizing or is it because they are unfertilised that they stay mini? If I grow them in poly can they be sown now, I live in southern Brittany France; the forecast is for warmer weather next week onwards.

[Two_Sheds]

the forecast is for warmer weather next week onwards.

You need to know your minimum temp (ie, your night time temps). Sweetcorn needs 60 to 80 degrees F

[drunkgardener]

if want keep badgers or squirrels from damage sweet corn; you need what amounts to steel grating fruit cage, but big enough to to keep the corn safe