[Jamie Butterworth]

This year will be my first year growing sweetcorn,what is it best to sow it in asi have seen a few people post that they are starting it off now it paper pots, do they not like root disturbance and is now not too early?

Also, what conditions do they grow best in and does anyone have any tips to try and get a decent(ish) crop?

[Gandan57]

Plenty of manure!

[Yorkie]

I do mine in paper pots but won't start them off until mid April at the earliest as I don't have a greenhouse to put them in before planting them out.

[Chrysalis]

we do ours in normal pots or peat or paper,depending what is to hand! Just in multipurpose compost in the unheated greenhouse at the moment, then out into the plot in a bunch (they need to be able to pollinate, so plant in blocks).  Lots of sun and water and manure.... C

[Rampant_Weasel]

i do mine in ordinary plastic pots in the cold frame at the end of march.
then i carefully plant out in a block in soil thats had well rotted manure dumped on it around april time.
always got a good crop so far,its about the easiest crop to grow i think cos theres hardly anything that wants to eat it!

[ecky]

Rats like them. They done for most of mine last year

[Salmo]

Sweet corn likes to be planted out in warm soil and keep growing.

It cannot take much frost so if you sow too early it will be hanging around in pots or outside at risk of a check by frost or a cold spell. I aim for the second half of April so that my plants are ready to go out in the second half of May. Striving for early crops is often met with disappointment.

The seeds easily rot if in damp cold soil. I start mine off on damp kitchen paper in a plastic box in the airing cupboard. Check it every day, as soon as they sprout sow them in pots or modules. Handle them carefully or the tiny roots will be damaged. The ideal size to plant it out is about 4 inches. Much bigger than that and the transplanting will check them.

 

[potatogrower]

Like all veggies, ensure you plant grow sweet corns in sets after every 2 weeks so you have a steady supply over the harvest period. make sure your sweet corns have sun all round otherwise those sweet corns planted with little access to sun light may not grow well.

when the cobs appear don't pull the leafy covers back to see the inside otherwise insects will get in and the cob won't be good.

And yes plenty of well rotted manure

[mike1987]

i feel silly now i planted my first lot 3 weeks ago

[Gandan57]

They are Brock`s favourite late summer treat.

[robbodaveuk]

Jamie, don't sow your corn before the end of April, I sow mine in paper pots the last week in April or the first week in May. They should then be planted out within three weeks before the tap root gets too long. Always plant them in block formation with a 12 inch spacing all round. A feed now and again while they are growing helps, they are quite hungry plants.

  Robbo.

[aelf]

I'm doing sweetcorn this year after a 2 year break - the meeces kept eating them  so I gave up

I'm itchin to get them started but will wait till mid April to improve their chances of growing. Better a later crop than no crop at all 

[TerryB]

I start my off in an airtight box in wet kitchen paper. Then into small pots for about 2 weeks then up into 4in pots (500g yogurt pots), all indoors or warm green house.
The bed is covered  with plastic supported on hops about 3 weeks before planting and then left in place after I put them in until the plants start touching the plastic.
I use a bulb planter to put then in and put some chicken pellets in the bottom of the hole to give them a good start. BFB added to soil the week before.
As far as root disturbance I've never had any proplems, they are not like carrots/snips.
I started my 1st lot 3 weeks ago and moved them up into 4in pots in the green house last night. Will plant them out on 17th April.
Next batch will be started this week.
Last batch will go into the bed after the winter onions come out.

[JayG]

Half of mine will be sown directly into paper pots in the kitchen around mid-April, the rest about 2 weeks later (to be planted next to the others in my never-ending quest for the elusive "2nd and even 3rd good cob per plant!")

They will not be planted out until I am sure (or as sure as you can be  ) not only that there is no risk of frost but also that day and night temperatures are warm (sweetcorn are major sulkers in cold conditions!)

They are hungry feeders but really quite an easy plant to grow even in our less than great summers recently, and boy, aren't the results just pure heaven?!  :happy:

[New shoot]

boy, aren't the results just pure heaven?!  :happy:

You are not wrong JayG.  Homegrown sweetcorn sure is heaven and its one of my must have crops   

I sow mine late April usually and I ignore the instructions on the pack and sow virtually on the surface of the compost in individual pots or large cell trays.  I always had issues with poor germination until someone told me this tip