[gavinjconway]

  I rather foolishly planted out a batch of sweet corn a few weeks ago then fleeced with scaffold netting. We then had hail and a few cold days. Looks like I've lost nearly two thirds of them!!      I do have a few spares but not enough.

My dilemma now is do I sow more in modules now or do I soak the seed a bit them plant a few seeds direct per station and keep the best one. I had a disaster last year when my crop was wiped out 2 weeks before they were ready by the freak September frost so need to get them in asap. I can get them in my heated propagator so they will be up and just showing in 5 days..

As I'm not used to growing sweet corn what would be the best way to get the best results.   

[JayG]

You're right Gavin - it's catch-up time and sowing indoors is bound to be quicker than outdoors, with or without soaking (paper pots will minimise root disturbance but you will still need to harden them off (but not for long if you have a real heat-wave near planting out time.) 

[angelavdavis]

I spent ten minutes discussing sweetcorn with a fellow plotholder I bumped into in Lidl today (I know, I am sad!)

I have some plants still in their coldframe that will very soon be pot bound, but I can't actually get enough decent hours to dig over the beds on the plot I took over 6 weeks ago!  Even if I do, I need the weather to warm up a bit before I will feel happy to plant them out.

I have started chitting another batch as a backup. 

I have taken a chance on the runner beans and french beans but really won't take a chance on the sweetcorn as I had trouble last year with zero germination which affected my harvests and we LOVE sweetcorn here!

Personally, I would chit them (as I have).  At least it will slow them down until this real heat-wave Jay knows something about happens!

[sowitgrowit]

Mine will be going out this weekend. They're about a foot tall and are desparate to get in th ground, but I wouldnn't think it's too late to start some more.

If they start growing and it's (fairly) consistently warm by the time they're a few inches tall, they may just romp away.

I image there are a lot of us with sweetcorn in pots that is getting pot-bound waiting for the weather; these may suffer more than a late sowing!

[boldondig]

Gavin, If you have the time - get an old ice cream tub with tight fitting lid. Put wet kitchen towel in the bottom. Add the sweet corn seeds and place in the top of the airing cupboard. In a couple of day you will see which ones have sprouted which you can pot on....It works for me and is quick. ( I guess you may get the same results with the heated propagator ...?)

[gavinjconway]

Thanks for all the advice. I have just sowed 48 seeds in 2 module trays and plonked them in the heated prop. Going away for 4 days so will nearly be up when I return.      Hope the JayG heat wave happens 

[seaside]

That sounds good to me Gavin. They'll be up in no time in a heated propagator, and they really grow fast once the temperature is right.... you might even have timed it to perfection if you're lucky with the weather.
I've just had a look at my notes and I sowed some Incredible F1 on 26 April and I sowed some golden bantam on 12 May, both in a propagator. Once germinated, and due to no suitable light/heat at home , I moved both sweet corn to the greenhouse under fleece and domes for the light. The bantams that were over a fortnight later have nearly caught up the Incredibles at about 3 inches, as the incredibles have sulked a bit. Also the bantams have had far fewer losses than the earlier sown incredibles.
They will both be going out on Sunday in separate locations under fleece for a couple of days. I had a good crop last year and I didn't plant out until the first week in June, so ho hum.

[gavinjconway]

4 days and they were all up... Now 2" high and growing well..