[Y.E.A.H]

2 years ago i grew some sweetcorn. that was the first year i grew it and it did really well. last year i grew sweetcorn and it didn't even germinate    i was told i was over watering. don't wan't to make the same mistake again this year so my question is what is the best way to plant/grow sweetcorn ? does it need lots of heat and sun ? thanks for reading 

[DD.]

Following other's recommendations, I tried pre-chitting sweetcorn last year, before putting them in the pots in the greenhouse.

Worked a treat:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34827.0

Empty tub - damp kitchen towel - airing cupboard

[diggerjoe]

Did a mix of pre chit and sow direct the sow direct had a few  no show but all pre chit worked. I tend to neglect mine, not intentional just so much to do. I am trying the white sort this year at home and 'butterscotch' at the plot. I pot mine up in Richie's paper pots.

[MoreWhisky]

Chit is the way to go.

[Y.E.A.H]

i have tryed to chit them before but they just went mouldy 

[DD.]

No need to be rude!

Perhaps you had duff seed. Mine chitted in a coupe of days

[upert]

what is this antifungal powder of which you speak? could one use cheshunt?

[DD.]

The seeds came coated in it already, I'd already slung the packet when someone asked me last year. If you read on on the link, there are some guesses as to what it may be.

Sorry don't know about Cheshunt.

[titch]

chitted my as per DD's suggestion last year, each plant grew nice and strong in one of richys paper pots, grew good and gave corn................guess what i will be doing this year 
mine chitted in less than 48 hours so keep a close eye on them

[mumofstig]

Yup...chitting is the way to go.

If you had seed that went mouldy in chitting conditions I would suggest that the same would have happened if you had sown them in compost..... the seeds were no good.
It wasn't the method that would turn them mouldy

[Trillium]

Yes, corn does need warm weather, warm soil and all the sun it can get. It also needs to be planted in blocks of 4 rows close together rather than single rows spaced apart. This is for pollination purposes as corn is pollinated by wind rather than bees, etc.

Once you get the seed germinated, potted and ready to go outside, consider covering the seedlings with row covers, clothes, etc to keep the soil and plant temperatures warm.

[JayG]

I really don't understand the problems some people seem to have germinating sweetcorn!

Until last year I used compost-filled toilet rolls, then converted to Richy's paper pots, the principle is the same; warm windowsill, moist but not soggy compost, new seed (I'm a cheapskate but the average number of F1 seeds per packet seems to be about 35 so I have to buy new each year) and if 1 in 20 fails to germinate I sulk!

As to growing on in the garden, the weather plays a big part as sweetcorn is pretty marginal in Britain in the average summer, but I have never failed to get a crop (in Sheffield) in about 25 years of trying!

 

[bigben]

Ditto to JayG - I am also in Sheffield and did mine in the paper pots on the windowsil. I started them too early  - every one popped up but I put them out just before we had really strong wind/rain. They were all trashed. I had already put a second set in just in case and 19 out of 20 came up and I planted these on a nicer day and they gave me a decent crop.

[aelf]

mine always grew fine in pots in the greenhouse, I've never chitted them. Stopped growing them tho as it was always a race between me and the mice as to who got to the corn first and the mice kept winning 

[prakash_mib]

hang on.. hang on..
What is chitting of sweetcorn? how is it done and when?
I dont have green house. Just a window sill.