[andy135]

please take care while opening the tissues after chitting. I did opened carefully but still snapped two roots. Your heart breaks when you hear the snap sound of the root. The reason is the roots easily poke through the tissue and gets strangled and when you open it snaps off!!

If you wet the tissue first, it should tear easily before the root does.

[blackbob]

I planted 30 sweetcorn in paper pots (no chitting) and so far 29 of them have come up. I'm not sure when to plant them on the plot though. Just putting them out to harden off each day and then back into unheated greenhouse for a while.  Actually they are going to go into my 3 sisters bed with the climbing beans and courgettes which was so good last year.

no need to chit,it' should germinate within 5 days at optimum temps and moisture.

[mumofstig]

no need to chit,it' should germinate within 5 days at optimum temps and moisture.

yeah, if we're ever lucky enough to get both at once, anytime this year  

[JayG]

I grow the same variety every year (Swift) and sow the remains of last year's packet two to a paper pot, and the fresh seed singly.

On a sunny indoor windowsill I expect and usually get 100% success. 

[Kristen]

A friend of mine started her sweetcorn off about three weeks before me and is already hardening off outside. Haven't got the nerve for that 

I reckon they need hardening off after about 2 weeks from sowing - after three weeks (from sowing) they need to be planted.  4 weeks absolute tops. Hence working backwards I would recommend hardening off (which will also slow down the rate of growth a bit).  Outside on nice days, back in before the evening gets cold. Put them out earlier, bring that back in later, as the week progresses so they get used to a bit of a chill ...

[Kristen]

I tried this 2 weeks ago and they just rotted!  Whereas my chitted peas and sweet peas worked great.  Any ideas why that should happen?  Too wet?  too hot?

I believe that the newer super-sweet varieties have germination problems compared to the old types, and as such the seed is often coated with a fungicide to stop them rotting before germinating - don't lick your fingers after handling! (There should be a warning on the packet if they have a fungicide dressing)

[kermit]

Dont have the packed - got 'em as part of a swap with neighbour.  That would explain it though - really weird smell too 

Think i'll get some more and just throw them in a pot.  Never grown corn before and everyone says its one of those crops that is sooo different when newly picked.

[bigben]

Kristen - are you suggesting 3-4 weeks from sowing to planting out? How long do they take to actually come up? Last year I put them out too early and lost the lot so had to redo them. I want to avoid it this year. Anyone know the planting distances between them?

[Digger Tom]

 Anyone know the planting distances between them?

 Plant them in a grid pattern about 16" apart in each direction.

[Kristen]

Kristen - are you suggesting 3-4 weeks from sowing to planting out?

Yup, that was my experience last year (although I chit mine on damp kitchen paper, if the seeds are planted into "pots" directly they may take a tad longer).

My first batch this year (sown on 26-Mar. destined for a greenhouse crop) are about 6" tall  and already rooted through the newspaper pots and needing to be planted out.  I could probably delay a week longer ... but for a later sowing the days are getting longer, and warmer, and that will make them grow faster than the ones I sowed back in March.