[Spr0ut]

Again I sowed my sweetcorn too early (mid April) thinking I live in the milder end of our island and again they are sitting in the unheated greenhouse (because there is nowhere else light enough indoors) and the leaves are turning yellow/grey/transparent - not a good look.

I have re-ordered the same variety and aim to re-sow as soon as they arrive and will maybe see some from the first batch and have a later batch from my second sowing.

- should have waited until May.

- question: I note that the sowing calendar on this site mentions sowing Sweetcorn in May and to sow them in loo roll inners. Is that really enough compost? I have them in the large coffee-to-drink-out type cups that well-known coffee baristas provide. Maybe I'll try half and half with this second sowing.

[cadalot]

I have mine in recycled plastic flexible pot about 80mm dia, which are really easy to get off when you want to plant them out they are sitting in cat litter trays

[Spr0ut]

Looking good cadalot. Mine are taller but dying off. Hopefully my second batch will fair better.

[JayG]

I use paper pots which are a little wider and taller than the average toilet roll cardboard tube, but not by much.

They are OK as long as I don't have to try to hold the seedlings back due to unsuitable weather for planting out, the usual 'target' here being the last week in May or first in June (but it has been later than that more than once in the 15 years I've lived here.)

My first time attempt at 'Incredible', as I've posted elsewhere, may well catch me out - they are about 5" high now having been sown only a week ago!

I think depth of pot is more important than width - you can give a liquid feed if the plants appear to be short of food, but if the roots become pot-bound, or in the case of paper pots, escape and tangle up with their neighbours, you won't have done them any favours, although I think they are a little more tolerant of root disturbance than is sometimes suggested.

Using paper pots or toilet roll tubes does of course help keep the disturbance to a minimum.

[pigguns]

I have no idea what I'm doing  and only got a great crop last year thanks to Mum2mj who let me have her sweetcorn plants last May....I think I planted two lots way too early, but this set up is working well for 35 x Swift and it survived the wind.  I heard sweetcorn is affected more by wind than low temps even.
I chuck fleece in the end if it's forecast cold overnight.  Necessity is the mother of a bodge up...

[surbie100]

I've had mine in loo rolls for a few weeks now and they are looking good. Last year the roots escaped the bottom of the paper pots, but were easily untanglable with a bit of patience. I sprinkle some BFB on top and give a light liquid feed now and then. So far so good.

Having said that, the loo rolls are disintegrating rapidly, so I will be trying to get them out in the next couple of weeks, even if it's under protection.

[Goosegirl]

JayG - I'm trying "Incredible" for the first time this year and they are about 5" high in 6" pots. I have just given them a dilute general purpose foliar feed as a boost before I plant most of them in my greenhouse. The rest I will harden off and plant out in late May-early June depending on the weather.

[JayG]

Just hope mine don't continue growing at the same rate as they have done so far GG, at least not until I plant them outside! 

Incredible apparently grows to 8' which is considerably taller than the Swift I normally grow, and may explain the hurry it seems to be in. Hope your GH is tall enough for them. 

[Beetroot Queen]

Mine went out yesterday it was that or they were going to keel over in protest. This is incredible

[fatbelly]

I think its about 2 or 3 weeks to early to put sweetcorn on the plot. I have sown my Squashes and they are currently up and sitting in my unheated G/House waiting for June.

[Spr0ut]

I have no idea what I'm doing  and only got a great crop last year thanks to Mum2mj who let me have her sweetcorn plants last May....I think I planted two lots way too early, but this set up is working well for 35 x Swift and it survived the wind.  I heard sweetcorn is affected more by wind than low temps even.
I chuck fleece in the end if it's forecast cold overnight.  Necessity is the mother of a bodge up...

The corrugated clear cover gives me an idea - thanks for that!

[Tracybutton]

I'm on my second sowing as the first ones died when I transplanted into bigger pots. Didn't know why and so popped some more seeds in pots three weeks ago.
I've only just read that they don't like root disturbance and need really deep pots and so although they are doing well, it looks like I've sown too early and not in single deep enough pots 
I don't know if I should give up on these too (although they look well ) and start again before it's too late. It's a shame because I've got a lovely bed just waiting for them.
At this rate each cob will have cost five pounds a shot 

[Totty]

My first sowing will have to go out at the end of the week when hardened. Half of them in large rootrainers, the rest in 5 inch pots. Trying Ambrosia this year after years  of growing swift. Good to mix it up.

Totty

[Goosegirl]

Just hope mine don't continue growing at the same rate as they have done so far GG, at least not until I plant them outside! 
Incredible apparently grows to 8' which is considerably taller than the Swift I normally grow, and may explain the hurry it seems to be in. Hope your GH is tall enough for them. 

Oh 'eck! I never looked at how high they grow so, when they've finished pollinating, can I cut their tops off?

[JayG]

I suppose you could cut the male tassels off after pollination without them noticing, but sweet corn don't usually grow much higher after the tassels are produced, so you've still got to accommodate them up to that point - not trying to rub it in but I bet they don't grow less high in a GH than they would outdoors.

No consolation, but I must admit I too assumed that all F1 varieties suitable for UK growing would be shorter as an adaptation to the shorter summer, and only found out after I'd bought them. 

Growing them outside the 8' height won't be an issue, although achieving it in time if it's a poor summer might be...