[Goosegirl]

I planted out my 12 sweetcorn when they were about 8" high and were nice and sturdy home grown plants. I watered them in and added BFB to the planting hole. Most are ok though very slow growing as are my beans and sweetpeas due, I think, to the low temps lately. I had 3 that wilted after a couple of weeks. On pulling one up, the base of the stem was brown. Is this due to rot or slugs/snails?

[Trillium]

Could be due to several things. Corn, being a grass, doesn't require a lot of water, just some on occasion. And, there are some pests that can eat roots, but the overwatering/rot is more common. It could be some slug damage if the stalks are still fairly soft.

Corn are like tomatoes and cukes in that they need quite a bit of warmth (heat units) to do well. If you've had a lot of cold spells or very cold nights, then it really sets them back.

They're also greedy nitrogen feeders rather than BFB users.

[dig4victory]

As a matter of course we ALWAYS cut little cloches from plastic squash/water bottles and put them over the corn when we plant.  We think it helps protect them from slugs and wind too.

We cut the tops and bottoms off the bottle, cut one end into a jagged spikey pattern then pop over the corn, spikey end up.

[Gandan57]

Have you applied any other fertilizer besides BFB? Because it does sound a bit like fertilizer burn.

[cooperman]

When I plant out my sweetcorn early I always chuck a bit of shelter net round them until it warms up a bit....  keeps the cold wind off etc...

[Goosegirl]

I put some well-rotted sheep manure round them and possibly some of it touched the stems - oh dear! My OH keeps insisting that I do this every year so I went for it big-time and think that's what did it, though two failed before I applied it. I usually put plastic milk cartons round but didn't this year - doh!