[gavinjconway]

Hi all -  is it it too early to sow the seed in modules?

I thought I'm probably a couple of weeks too early but I have sowed 100 sweetcorn as my first early batch. I need about 60 from this so hope I get a good germination.. In a few weeks I'll plant another 250 or so to get 150 plants.. Its only the second time planting sweet-corn so still an apprentice at it.

Last year I also sowed on 17th April and the freak September frost got them just before they were ready so hopefully i'll feed them more this year to be ready earlier.. hence my wanting to get sowing now. I have loads of fleece material (scaffold mesh) to cover if any chance of frost is around when they are planted out.

I also have loads of seed so can re-sow if they get too "leggy" whilst waiting

[DD.]

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=69457.msg1165518#msg1165518

and they're going into modules (pot sized ones) in the unheated greenhouse.

[mumofstig]

I must pot my chitted ones up today 

[Cake Lady]

I started mine off last week and have 12 out of 13 showing, which I didn't think was bad.  I'm not sure if it's too early, but last year I was too late sowing (sometime in May if I remember rightly) and the plants didn't get big enough, although the weather may have played it's part!  I've still got plenty of seed to resow if things don't go ok.

I take it you want a lot of sweetcorn Gavin?!

[DD.]

I've sowed slightly earlier than I usually do as I'm off on hols for a week on Sunday.

The weather's put be behind with the outside jobs and I don't want a back-log of the inside ones as well.

[JayG]

It's difficult to know the best time to start them off because they need a good summer to really deliver the goods (plenty of warmth after planting out to get them growing and avoid prolonged sulking, and preferably an Indian summer to ripen the stragglers - last year we got neither here and I only got half a crop.) 

Will probably start mine in about a week and just hope for the best, as ever. 

[gavinjconway]

I take it you want a lot of sweetcorn Gavin?!

Im a Rhodesian Farmers Son and love your UK sweetcorn - better than our white maize we used to grow in Africa 

At a quid per cob in the supermarkets I dont buy!!! So they are ideal to grow myself..


Thanks for the replies - looks like I may just be spot on..