[Batesy]

Hi all

I sowed my sweetcorn 2 weeks ago as per the advice article on this website. I was pleasantly surprised to see yesterday that almost all seeds had germinated, so I removed the weaker of the two in each planting position.

In the article it said to cover with a plastic drinks bottle with the bottom removed. What is the benefit of doing this? I like the idea of this as it would hopefully reduce the chances of my seedlings being nibbled on, but I worry that the plants would get too hot on a particularly hot day.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[mumofstig]

The bottle with the bottom cut off is in theory to stop slugs and help keep them a little sheltered, if planting early in the year.
I think as long as they are hardened off properly it is late enough in the year to plant them straight out just as they are.

[snowdrops]

If you take the bottle lid off it allows for ventilation

[victoria park]

As MOS has said, it's well late in the season now. Get them out asap. In my opinion, little chance of hardening off issues. Covered by a bottle would be the last thing I would do now. Looking at the weather forecast, it's hot and sweetcorn weather, well apart from the lack of rain. Not even much wind. Just drape a bit of bird netting over the seedlings for a week or so, until they are big enough to not interest the birds. Water well. I've never had any sweet corn seedlings outside be nobbled by slugs, just birds when they're small, and badgers when they're just about ripe for plucking as maturing adults.

[Batesy]

Thanks for the replies. I probably should have mentioned that I sowed the sweetcorn seeds straight into the ground 2 weeks ago, so I suppose they are already 'hardened off'. I had visions of the slugs attacking them but at the moment they seem fine. In fact, I can't believe how fast they are growing already.

Thanks again