Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Hampshire Hog on May 05, 2021, 16:37
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Hi all
Has anyone moved their sweet corn to the plot yet??
Mine have grown well in my conservatory but they are getting rather large for the pots. I am tempted to put them out with protection but the weather seems unpredictable or should I say predictably cold??
Cheers HH
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Much too cold to put them out IMO. I haven't even sown mine yet ;)
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Much too cold to put them out IMO. I haven't even sown mine yet ;)
Same!
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Way way to early here in Lincolnshire.
My advice is to either start again or pot on but I think that is not good idea.
I would just start again. Although I would ask others on here advice?
Anyone??
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Mine are just germinating. It is supposed to cheer up a bit next week, but sweet corn out before the end of May is a risk.
I have got tomatoes in a mini plastic greenhouse which is inside the unheated glass greenhouse and they are coping OK. You might get away with it if you double up with fleece and perhaps clear plastic over that in case of more hail or cold rainy days. Blue water pipe cut into lengths is good for making tunnels that are a bit higher than the ones you can typically buy.
I have also potted on sweet corn in a late spring and that worked out fine. You could also sow more seed, just in case :)
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Thanks all looks like I’m a bit early this year!
I’m supposed to be in the sunny south but the weather doesn’t realise. We should be 2weeks ahead of John’s timings for sowing etc.
Think I will see if it warms up next week and risk it with covers. I can always sow another packet if the existing plants keel over.
Thanks as ever for the warnings
Cheers HH
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I’ve not sown my main crop this year yet. I have sown about a dozen left in a packet as they’re destined for an early crop in my new poly tunnel, so thought I’d use them up, but they’re only just through. In view of the weather I might sow the others this weekend or next week.
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I put them out a week ago, then heavy rain and wind, luckily I used half cola bottles covered them, so the wind didn't break them. They looks good and grew 30% taller approximate
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Just put out half of my sweet corn protected in a low “flyaway” greenhouse on the plot. Had to weight it down given the recent strong winds. Hopefully it will stay put and protect these plants. Given comments on here I have held back the other half of my seedlings as security. Also added some lettuce seedlings as an inter crop.
Fingers crossed the worst of the winter weather is now behind us (at least locally).
Cheers HH
greenhouse on the plot
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Usually plant out third week of May, and this year for me will be no different.
Sowed mine in the greenhouse on April 18th and they are about four to five inches high now.
I tend to plant them out when they are about six inches or more.
Have never really tried them earlier outside.
If you have spare seed, get in some more now. I have planted out a second crop in past years as late as Mid June from an early May sowing and do catch up.
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Thanks all looks like I’m a bit early this year!
I’m supposed to be in the sunny south but the weather doesn’t realise.
Unfortunately the weather in 2021 seems to have little interest in climatology. Given the tendency to be stuck in March for the last five weeks, I wouldn't plant out anything delicate until the bank holiday weekend at the very earliest.
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Much too cold to put them out IMO. I haven't even sown mine yet ;)
Same!
Thanks, I'd come on here to ask just that!
I've not grown corn before, I've chitted a few other seeds this year. Has anyone done that with corn seeds or should I just sow them in pots.
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I've not grown corn before, I've chitted a few other seeds this year. Has anyone done that with corn seeds or should I just sow them in pots.
Yes chitting works well with corn. I also find if you sow them pretty much on the surface of the compost, they seem to germinate much better (if you go the pot route).
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Thanks, I'd come on here to ask just that!
I've not grown corn before, I've chitted a few other seeds this year. Has anyone done that with corn seeds or should I just sow them in pots.
Can't say I've ever had any problem with propagating sweetcorn seedlings, so feel no need for chitting.
I sow the seeds together in a 4 inch deep tray, about 1/2 inch deep a few inches apart, in the greenhouse. That is in moist multi compost and spray the trays every day.
I have started off my Golden Bantam that way for many years, without issues.
When I used to buy the Golden Bantam they were up in just after 7 days. Have been saving my own seed of Golden Bantam for a few years and they also come up just after 7 days, without issues. Probably say out of every 20 seeds, have only one that does not germinate.
Also this year, I am growing a new synergistic variety from Mr Fothergills called Picasso F1. It is a variety that you can grow alongside other varieties. It produces bicolour cobs, so will be an interesting experiment.
All the 25 seeds I sowed came up within 7 days, using same method as above.
I do also each year pass a small number of the seedlings on to my Dad that he grows in his garden.
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Just sown my main crop for outside this afternoon, 9of the 11 sown at the end of April are 1” high in the root trainers
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I am potting on the taller batch today so thought I would post a picture.
1st batch surface sown 29th April. Small shoots in foreground are a batch surface sown 9th May.
They are going in batches as I am rushing them through as soon as I have space inside. I have sown seeds normally in pots with no problems at all. Chitting or surface sowing just takes less time in my experience and as it is now mid May, I am impatient to see them up and growing :)
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My first lot sown at the beginning of April two per pot and kept in my mini-GH inside the main one didn't germinate so I sowed a new packet of them about two weeks ago so they should be up soon. I pinch out the weaker one then plant them in my GH border as I find they do really well in there. When the tassels form I tap each main stem with a cane which releases masses of fine pollen directly onto the forming cob sections and I always get fully pollinated cobs. Yum!
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That sounds like a good tip goosegirl. I often get incomplete germination so I’ll try it. I planted out my early crop Swifts last weekend. Hope they don’t rot!
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I meant incomplete pollination!
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Since the weather has returned to autumnal I’ve even postponed putting my early batch of sweet corn into the poly tunnel, at least for a few days, they might as well stay in the blowaway in the greenhouse with a propagator top on at night
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Here in East Anglia, on the coast, mine are still in the polytunnel and getting a little fed up with the crowded accommodations in their tray. :mad: Today we have gale force winds for the second day in a row. They can pout, but in the long run, they can wait another week or so before going out.