[seaside]

You're probably right DD and just what I was thinking the other day looking at the long root protruding. So I've put the loo rolls into cheap party plastic cups for the next week which kind of defeats the object I suppose. Might just plant them out and cover with plastic bottles. Back to 3inch pots next year, or decent modules.

[simonwatson]

I guess I should say these are paper pots. Nice big hefty ones made from a broadsheet.

[JayG]

Sounds as if they will be very educated and well-informed sweet corn by the time they are planted out! 

[simonwatson]

They'll be well informed, but a little behind the Times! It's hard to make paper pots out of bbc news online.

[JayG]

 

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

Afternoon all,

I bought some sweetcorn in a local gc as i never go round to sowing any, and then read in my book, that if they are root bound, which I think they are, then they wont take, and wont grow properly.....

What have others discovered, and what should I do?

[Yorkie]

It probably depends on the degree of root disturbance - planting with the rootball intact from a pot, or planting a paper pot complete will minimise the shock - planting bare-rooted would of course be a very bad idea.

Having said that the biggest cause of sulking is probably low temperatures after planting out, although they are bound to stall for a while as they establish their root systems in the new soil.

This website (which also contains other useful advice) advocates using a high phosphorus feed after transplanting to help establish the root system, but I guess most amateur growers don't bother with that, if only because high "P" fertilisers are not easy to come by.

Yeah - In Zimbabwe we used neat Potassium "P" with all our planting out - be it planting a new lawn using runners, veg or flowers or even to our farm where Dad used it on all the crops as well. (I know it as Super Phosphate). This is in addition to any general fertilizers added when preparing the bed/land.. 

Just to clarify that Phosphorus is the correct chemical for roots, not Potassium.  The chemical letter is indeed P.

[realfood]

Not really a problem. When you take them out of their pot to plant out, once all danger of frost is past, just gently tease out some of the roots before planting.

[BabbyAnn]

why not repot them in fresh compost in a bigger pot now - I find that if you disturb the roots too much then it can have the same effect as being pot bound

[gavinjconway]

Yeah - In Zimbabwe we used neat Potassium "P" with all our planting out - be it planting a new lawn using runners, veg or flowers or even to our farm where Dad used it on all the crops as well. (I know it as Super Phosphate). This is in addition to any general fertilizers added when preparing the bed/land.. 

Just to clarify that Phosphorus is the correct chemical for roots, not Potassium.  The chemical letter is indeed P.

Hi Yorkie - sorry I had a "Senior Moment" with my tiny sunburned brain!!  It is indeed Pphosphorus!! dont know where Potassium came from!! I have corrected my mistake.

[rowan57]

Yeah - In Zimbabwe we used neat Potassium "P" with all our planting out - be it planting a new lawn using runners, veg or flowers or even to our farm where Dad used it on all the crops as well. (I know it as Super Phosphate). This is in addition to any general fertilizers added when preparing the bed/land.. 

Just to clarify that Phosphorus is the correct chemical for roots, not Potassium.  The chemical letter is indeed P.

Hi Yorkie - sorry I had a "Senior Moment" with my tiny sunburned brain!!  It is indeed Pphosphorus!! dont know where Potassium came from!! I have corrected my mistake.

That'd be the 'K'

[Sweetpea C]

So, is it time for them to go out? Is it is it is it?!!! Not that I am keen or anything!!!  also, will they need protecting? I suppose that is a silly answer given my rabbit problem...more netting required!

[DD.]

Another 2 weeks at least for mine, if that helps.

[Sweetpea C]

Always helpful DD! The thing is, the roots are out of the bottom of mine...they are still inside too - shall I put them in the coldframe or keep them inside. I'm very protective of them 

[Ema]

I sowed my chitted sweetcorn a week ago and now have shoots the only problem is the loo rolls have gone mouldy and furry (they were stores in my damp garage for a long while) - I've left them to dry out but not sure whether to leave them be or up root them into plastic pots