Topic: Sweetcorn protection

[Gazfoz]

I intend to sow sweetcorn later this month and when sown will they require netting to protect against birds etc.

[Jeannine]

yes

[sarah]

are you sowing direct or in modules and then transplanting? i have always started mine off in root trainers and transplanted. I have never netted them and have not had any problems.

[Lee Marshall]

The only problem around my place is from the mice and rats who climb the stems to eat the sweetcorn.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I start mine off indoors or in the mini-greenhouses, then plant out at the end of May. Nothing's ever bothered mine.

[PurpleHeather]

We start off the seed in containers then plant out when they are strong enough to look after themselves.



Never had problems with birds (yet) but rats and mice love them to bits when they are ready to eat.

[Gazfoz]

So how do you stop the mice and rats? or is it best to factor in a number of plants to feed the wildlife?

[twinkletoes]

hi ya gazfoz.  When the corn starts growing you can put plastic milk or pop bottles over the individual cobs to protect them from mice/rats/birds.  Cut the bottle from the neck towards the base and slip over the cob.  Don't forget to puncture some ventilation holes in the bottle otherwise they will steam when it gets hot!  That'll fox the little pests.  8)
twinkletoes

[davyw1]

A Problem Solver  and it works

[compothefirst]

I sowed my sweetcorn seed in loorolls indoors and then put them in the cold frame.  Couldn't work out what was eating the tops of them when they were in the coldframe.  Then put a tray down by the back door ready to move to the coldframe and found the cat eating the tops of the plants.  They were on a windowsill indoors.  How did the cat get in and out of the coldframe?!

[star]

Cats can get through surprisingly small gaps, Im amazed it likes sweetcorn though

[sarah]

well its a funny thing but one of my cats likes sweetcorn and likes to chew the cobs after we have had them for tea.

[cornykev]

Bloody rats had a good feed on mine last year  >:(, this year I will be ready for them, let the battle commence.  ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

The trick with rats is never to let the numbers build up. Keep hammering them, with poison or whatever you choose to use. There will always be a few, but you can keep it to a few.

[Gazfoz]

How will you be ready for them?

[jennym]

Is that milk containers on your cobs davyw1? Assume they worked fine or you wouldn't be posting the pic - how did you secure them to the plant, how did you get them on - did you make a slit, or did you put them on when the cobs were small? Excuse all the questions but imagine it's a fiddly job and want to do it the best way.

Was going to try empty plastic 2 litre pop bottles this year, as I think that after the rats finished off the sweetcorn on the plots in Enfield, they all moved across my way, were pretty hungry after the trip and demolished every cob on the entire site almost overnight  ;D

[Curryandchips]

The only problem around my place is from the mice and rats who climb the stems to eat the sweetcorn.

They eat my seed here. Last year I put about 80 germinated plants into pots in the greenhouse, for planting out in a couple of weeks. Came back one day to find every single one uprooted, and the seed taken, presumably eaten. Needless to say, I was slightly gutted. This year I am growing them in my back room, and will plant out when big enough to withstand an onslaught.

[davyw1]

The only problem around my place is from the mice and rats who climb the stems to eat the sweetcorn.

They eat my seed here. Last year I put about 80 germinated plants into pots in the greenhouse, for planting out in a couple of weeks. Came back one day to find every single one uprooted, and the seed taken, presumably eaten. Needless to say, I was slightly gutted. This year I am growing them in my back room, and will plant out when big enough to withstand an onslaught.

Cut the bottle up the opposite side to the handle, you wont need to put them over the cob till a couple of weeks before they are ripe as the rats, mice and birds like, like us don,t touch them till they are ready to eat.
When you come to put them on pull the bottle apart and you will find that the screw top part will fit nicely over the base of the cob and put the slit to the bottom. This prevent anything from being able to stand on or grip the bottle.
I have been using it for years it does work.

[theothermarg]

I used 2ltr pop bottles but you must vent them!1 had my first whole sweetcorn in years

one of these hasn,t been vented yet so is wet on the inside,cutting 2 of the nobbly bits off cures this but not too big a hole or they can get in
marg

[Lady of the Land]

Are those the 2 litre bottles that lemonade comes in. I was saving the 1 litre ones but perhaps they will be too small. I have used all the milk containers and 2 litre bottles recently for putting in the ground for the potatoes.