[Missy1970]

Sorry for the urgency but promised my daughter we would plant sweetcorn today however when I've gone to get the seeds I started chitting Tues/Weds they have gone furry and spores of mould are on them will they be safe to use or do I need to start again?

Thanks
Missy

[JayG]

Sorry to say so but it sounds as if they are rotting (too wet?) and will be no good for sowing. 

There has been so much posted here lately about sweetcorn germination and I don't want to start it off all over again but having promised your daughter you would sow today why not sow direct (paper pots if you have them?), keep them moist on a sunny windowsill and you should see their little shoots in about a week. 

[Missy1970]

Thanks JayG will discard the chitting ones and try direct - didnt think of that

Missy

[herbiegrowsbananas]

Hiya

I sowed my seeds direct into compost in the greenhouse last week and I have strong shoots coming up. I watered it well, put a clear lid on it and left it alone for a week  .

Herbie

[Kristen]

I lost a batch this year chitting on kitchen paper. I had pressed the moist kitchen paper well down onto the seeds; I've now changed my technique to make sure the seed is well moist to start with, and then raise up the upper layer of kitchen paper so that some air can circulate.

When I re-wet the container I pour all the excess moisture out - whereas for other seeds I leave it "wet" rather than "moist".

The modern varieties of sweetcorn have more problems with germination than their predecessors - and are often coat with a fungicide in order to improve their chances ...

[mumofstig]

I find if I put the lid on the plastic pot then put it on the warm propagator base, the corn has usually chitted by the next day, so there is no need to re-wet, but I agree they only need to be damp rather than soaking.

[sunshineband]

I had 100% germination in four days, sowing into deep pots ( 3 to a pot) covered in cling film and then in a cold greenhouse.

 (weather was decent though  )

[mumofstig]

If you plant 3 to a pot, do you only keep the strongest growing one, plant all 3 together, or split them on planting............you've got me guessing

[roller]

Sorry for the urgency but promised my daughter we would plant sweetcorn today however when I've gone to get the seeds I started chitting Tues/Weds they have gone furry and spores of mould are on them will they be safe to use or do I need to start again?

Thanks
Missy

Rinse them gently in luke warm water, it will only be a surface fungi, then get them in soil asap

[DavidT]

In my opinion. the only veg that needs chitting are potatoes. Seeds should be sown direct in the ground or in pots.

[sunshineband]

If you plant 3 to a pot, do you only keep the strongest growing one, plant all 3 together, or split them on planting............you've got me guessing

The pots are 12 ins deep (bought roses in them years ago) and I separate out each plant carefully. The roots are thick and juicy and need careful handling, and it is best not the let the plants get too big for that reason.

Total success like this last year so fingers crossed for the same again 

[ziggy66]

Sorry to say so but it sounds as if they are rotting (too wet?) and will be no good for sowing. 

There has been so much posted here lately about sweetcorn germination and I don't want to start it off all over again but having promised your daughter you would sow today why not sow direct (paper pots if you have them?), keep them moist on a sunny windowsill and you should see their little shoots in about a week. 

Safe to use.

Each batch of sweetcorn I chit always ends up 'furry' with mould. When planted on does not seem to matter.

If you still have the seeds go for it, you will know in about two days if there is a problem if they don't poke through.

[Spana]

I've always sown straight into pots but i had opened left over  packets in my seed bag, one dating back to 06.  So i chitted them on damp kitchen roll and got about 95% germinate.  They were all furry, but i potted them up anyway and they're all growing on well. 

If you look at the shooting seed some will have a shoot as well as a root.  Just by sure to get the root pointing down and the shoot up