[Pony Girl]

I've got 7 sweetcorn plants that I've managed to grow (only ones that survived). 3 from my first sowing in April and 4 from 2nd sowing a couple of weeks later that are obviously a bit smaller than the first batch.

At the moment I've got them in pots on my windowsill.

Do you think there's enough of them to plant in a block for successful pollination?

[simonwatson]

You can always help the pollination along by plucking some of the male flowers and hand pollinating the tassels. I managed to grow just three in a pot one year and they were fine done this way.

[angelavdavis]

It can't be a good year for sweetcorn.  I also only have 7 swift sweetcorn germinated, although had more luck with another variety (can't remember what they were called) and the mini pop variety.  I will put them out and give them all a good shake when I walk past them to help the germination!

[GrannieAnnie]

I would have said 9, but with the 7, I would plant three, then 2, then 3 again so you still have a block, but with the odd 2 in the middle.

[Kleftiwallah]

I would have said 9, but with the 7, I would plant three, then 2, then 3 again so you still have a block, but with the odd 2 in the middle.

And just where does the extra one come from?  The phrase that comes back to me from school is "And carry one"  I presume carry one home from the garden centre !

Cheers,    Tony.

[mumofstig]

 

[sunshineband]

I would have said 9, but with the 7, I would plant three, then 2, then 3 again so you still have a block, but with the odd 2 in the middle.

And just where does the extra one come from?  The phrase that comes back to me from school is "And carry one"  I presume carry one home from the garden centre !

Cheers,    Tony.

 

[Rangerkris]

hahahahaha i have done ok with mine this year, we got blocks of 18 and a block of 20 and more to go in. We will manage to some past the children and Grandad on the plot this year to home. Last year Callum and Grandad was cooking them in the shed hahahaha. (His Grandad my Dad)

[GrannieAnnie]

I would have said 9, but with the 7, I would plant three, then 2, then 3 again so you still have a block, but with the odd 2 in the middle.

And just where does the extra one come from?  The phrase that comes back to me from school is "And carry one"  I presume carry one home from the garden centre !

Cheers,    Tony.

Oooops,  can only say the sun today must have addled my brain!  Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!   

[Lawrence]

It can't be a good year for sweetcorn.  I also only have 7 swift sweetcorn germinated, although had more luck with another variety (can't remember what they were called) and the mini pop variety.  I will put them out and give them all a good shake when I walk past them to help the germination!

I had only 20 out of 25 germinate despite it being this years seed.
I used the tissue paper method I saw on this site (sorry, I cant get my head around the term chitting that I have seen used here when it's not Potatoes!)

[angelavdavis]

It can't be a good year for sweetcorn.  I also only have 7 swift sweetcorn germinated, although had more luck with another variety (can't remember what they were called) and the mini pop variety.  I will put them out and give them all a good shake when I walk past them to help the germination!

I had only 20 out of 25 germinate despite it being this years seed.
I used the tissue paper method I saw on this site (sorry, I cant get my head around the term chitting that I have seen used here when it's not Potatoes!)

Believe it or not, I have had only 7 plants out of two packets of average 34 seeds appear and this was freshly bought seed!  First packet planted directly in heated propagator 0% success, second packet chitted in advance 24 planted - only 7 grew!  

I was gutted, so much so that I complained to Suttons seeds and they sent me two new packets.  I have started one of these packets off today - I thought what the hell!  I have never had such problems before.

[GrannieAnnie]

My sweetcorn seed was this year's too and I've only got 17 I think it is from around 35 in the packet.

[Pony Girl]

Thanks everyone. Good advice, as always.

So should I plant in a block of 3, 1 in middle, 3 with just the 7 plants?

[bigben]

I got almost every one to germinate and planted them out in loo roll tubes. The problem came when I then tried to plant these on my allotment. Something - a fox? keeps digging the tubes out and leaving them to dry out. I am going to have to take them out of the tube before I bury them on the plot next year.

[Casey76]

Could you do 2-3-2 instead?  You'll end up with a hexagon rather than a square, but I don't think that will matter too much