[Salmo]

When should I sow sweet corn so that the plants be ready for hardening off about the middle of May to plant out by the end of May?

[lucywil]

I did mine yesterday, they are in a unheated greenhouse

[JayG]

In about a week, indoors on a warm windowsill in paper pots.

Week to germinate, week to grow, week to harden off, so in mid-May the anxious wait for a warm spell. They're another great sulker if it's cold and of course frost will kill them; didn't get planted out till the beginning of June last year but that was exceptional (I hope!) 

[8doubles]

Thanks for that JayG, i invested in a packet of corn seed yesterday as there will be a spare sunny patch on the plot.

Ps do you pre-soak the seed before sowing ?

[mumofstig]

I don't soak them................. I chit them first, as do many of us.

here's a thread about chitting sweetcorn

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34827.msg417144#msg417144

[JayG]

Ps do you pre-soak the seed before sowing ?

No, although quite a few people like to pre-germinate the seeds I've never found it necessary because up to now I've had very few duds with fresh seed (the F1 supersweets don't seem to keep well though; germination seems to drop to 50% after a year but you should be OK with yours.)

(Mum has just spoken up for "the chitters"; take your pick!) 

[prakash_mib]

start chitting on 15th april. plant them in paper pots on 17th April (chits down). grew on windowsill till 2nd may and planted out on 3rd week of may last year (our last frost was 12th may last year)