[Missy1970]

Hello all

I've got 18 (subject to germination!) sweetcorn plants my bed is 4ft wide what would be the best way of spacing/block planting them

Thanks
Missy

[mumofstig]

Last year I did mine 4 in a row across the bed then 15inches before the next row of 4 and so on. Worked a treat

[Ian_A]

I think 4ft square bed is going to be a little small for 18 as they need to be well spaced. But arrange in a square or rectangle (well, a square is a rectangle, but you know what I mean!)

Maybe 4 by 4 though would suit the bed but I think 3 by 3 would be likelier to be more productive.

[JayG]

I think 4ft square bed is going to be a little small for 18 as they need to be well spaced. But arrange in a square or rectangle (well, a square is a rectangle, but you know what I mean!)

Maybe 4 by 4 though would suit the bed but I think 3 by 3 would be likelier to be more productive.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 4X4's caused global warming!   

[andy135]

That's a wheelie corny joke......................! 

[PennyS]

I've got a back issue of Gardening Which where they did some trials on sweetcorn spacing.  They found that planting close did give smaller cobs but the crop per metre square was much bigger.  Optimum spacing turned out to be 25cm x 25cm.   

Hope that helps,

[andy135]

I've got a back issue of Gardening Which where they did some trials on sweetcorn spacing.  They found that planting close did give smaller cobs but the crop per metre square was much bigger.  Optimum spacing turned out to be 25cm x 25cm.  

Hope that helps,

That's handy to know PennyS as I'm trying to squeeze my sweetcorn into 4' x 8'.
Thank you.  

[Wombat18]

I sowed some in the cold frame from last year, but only three came up.  Does the seed deteriorate quickly, or is it just me?  

I usually plant them about 30cm apart btw.  Seemed to do okay last year, but not everything got pollinated.

[BelgianPhil]

Why not 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3? or 4, 3, 4, 3, 4?

I've once looked at some corn on a commercial farm and they had long rows 40cm apart. Within the rows the plants were less than 10cm apart. They were just touching each other.

[mumofstig]

still too cold in the cold frame, Wombat  
Try again on a warm window ledge.......still plenty of time while the weather is like this  

[Missy1970]

Sorry my bed isnt 4ft sq its 4ft wide 15ft long should have made the clear in my first post

Missy

[DD.]

3 x 6 with 18" spacing.

You don't want to plant right to the edge of the bed, the block itself will take up 3' x 7.5' and you've room for something else.

[Kristen]

I plant 3 across my 4' beds (but I don't have nice wodden edges to mine, so planting close to my sloping-earth edge is a bit unattainable for me  so you might be able to get 4 across.