[DD.]

I know.

That was from a thread from 2 years ago, to which mumofstig linked to but seemed to be over looked. It was posted as a warning as to what happens in 2 days in an airing cupboard.

[mumofstig]

I'm used to being ignored 

[DD.]

Me too, it seems! 

[hightide]

I'm with Headgardner22 on this topic, I was always told that as soon as the shoot tip detects light it switches off root development in favour of leaf production. Other members on this site disagree and say that chitting sweetcorn seed is a popular method of germination and should not be discounted. I am OK with that so I experimented with various suppliers including open varieties and organic brought back from a trip to the U.S.A. I found that I had to watch seed chitted on damp paper like a hawk, in case it dried out/ rotted as not all seed is treated/ pick off rooted seed as some rooted early and burrowed roots into the paper.

By comparison, seed sown one to a three inch pot late April and planted out late May to mid June as and when the conditions were right  provide me with enough cobs. From a packet of seed there will be loss, it only needs the best twentyfive plants laid out in a block five by five, fifteen inches apart. 'Golden Bantam Improved' and any of the UK 'Supersweet' varieties have been great and LOL late and early plantings managed to mature roughly at the same time; thanks to a neighbours kernel stripper they freeze well. As far as sweetcorn is concerned I don't faff, I save that for Squash, Cucumber, Melon and Parsnips where I have to.
 
 

[Gandan57]

I wouldn`t consider chitting sweet corn as faffing, you`re still only planting the seed once.

What chitting ensures, is that every seed planted in a pot, is a viable one, which saves on time and space.

[DD.]

I'm 110% with Gandan57 with this.

Nor do I faff with cucurbits and parsnips. Parsnips go straight in, cucurbits are one per pot then into final positions.

I don't do faffing, I do what I deem is least for good results and no more.

[Totty]

I'm with Headgardner22 on this topic, I was always told that as soon as the shoot tip detects light it switches off root development in favour of leaf production. Other members on this site disagree and say that chitting sweetcorn seed is a popular method of germination and should not be discounted. I am OK with that so I experimented with various suppliers including open varieties and organic brought back from a trip to the U.S.A. I found that I had to watch seed chitted on damp paper like a hawk, in case it dried out/ rotted as not all seed is treated/ pick off rooted seed as some rooted early and burrowed roots into the paper.

By comparison, seed sown one to a three inch pot late April and planted out late May to mid June as and when the conditions were right  provide me with enough cobs. From a packet of seed there will be loss, it only needs the best twentyfive plants laid out in a block five by five, fifteen inches apart. 'Golden Bantam Improved' and any of the UK 'Supersweet' varieties have been great and LOL late and early plantings managed to mature roughly at the same time; thanks to a neighbours kernel stripper they freeze well. As far as sweetcorn is concerned I don't faff, I save that for Squash, Cucumber, Melon and Parsnips where I have to.
 

The idea that the roots stop growing if the tip of it detects light is IMO not close to being correct. A very productive method of growing veg is to use air pruning pots, as soon as the roots get to the many holes, that root stops and sends out many more fibrous ones.
I also sow many trays of micro leaf veg and the seed is almost always uncovered after the first few seeds start shooting, leaving many more to shoot in the light, if the roots stopped growing straight away, I would have poor growth, which I don't.
I agree with Gandan, sowing only seeds that you are 100% certain are viable is not a faff, and a chitting a packet of seeds takes less time than filling up pots, watering and then sowing seed that will never grow.

Totty


Edited to take Totty's reply outside the quote.
 

[Eblana]

Potted up my chitted sweetcorn last night - 10 out of the 50 hadn't chitted so I chucked them as I really only need about 32 plants.  Chitting is a bit of faffing alright, that I wouldn't normally do, but with the weather being so poor this year space is at a premium in my greenhouse so having 10 extra pots that were going to amount to nothing in the greenhouse would have been an awful waste of space.  I have instead been able to plant 10 courgettes and get them started off.

[pdblake]

I only did 20 and all of them sprouted. As an experiment it seems to have worked so I'll do another twenty when i see the first ones poke up out of their loo rolls.

[surbie100]

I've started my first ever sweetcorn chitting - 15 in last night. I'll be comparing what happens with them to all the pictures on here  I don't have space for things that don't germinate either, so I think this is great!

I have instead been able to plant 10 courgettes and get them started off.

10 courgettes? Yowzers!

[DD.]

10 courgettes? Yowzers!

Indeed!! I assume you realise how much space they take and how many each produce? Hope you've got a lot of friends! 

I limit myself to 3 and I've got plenty of space. It may be because I've got no friends!

[Eblana]

Yeh I am doing the Courgettes and a friend is doing the cucumbers.  So there are currently 5 for each of us but only 2/3 will ultimately end up being planted.

[DD.]

Phew!

[Thephoenix572]

Mine have been in the boiler cupboard and the Chinese takeaway tubs don't seem to be working none have sprouted and its been 3 days are my seeds duds?

[Gandan57]

Mine have been in the boiler cupboard and the Chinese takeaway tubs don't seem to be working none have sprouted and its been 3 days are my seeds duds?

 

Do you have moist kitchen roll on top of, as well as underneath the seed? I found in the past when the seed was just on top of the paper, it wasn`t absorbing enough moisture. 

Also, are the lids on? To prevent moisture loss.