Author Topic: When do you start off your first batch of sweet corn? (Read 7451 times)

peanuts · « **Reply #20 on:** April 13, 2012, 20:58:18 »

I've used the bigger sized roottrainers for sweetcorn for several years now. They get a really good root system going, and no disturbance when you plant them out, so they just get going straightaway, no setbacks.
I do use looroll tubes for parsnip seeds though, and I find they work really well, as I used to have a big problem in getting the seed to germinate out doors. Now I start them off indoors and plant them out as soon as they have a couple of leaves.

Jeannine · « **Reply #21 on:** April 14, 2012, 05:12:10 »

gavinjconway.. my honest answer is. I have never done it but I have pretty much tried everything over the years and my gut feeling says no..the roots will not just grow down and I don't think they would like it as the roots would be constricted very quickly. I have tried them in narrower pots and they didn't like it even though they were as tall as the usual 3 inch ones.. I like my corn to be filled right through to the tip and find if allowed to grow unrestricted I get that.

If pots are a problem, I would try plastic disposable beer containers. I am using them these days for all my transplants as they are only a fraction of what pots would be , they are designed to hold 18 fluid ounces, almost a pint, and they are quite tall. My tomatoes do very well in them as they hold more than the three inch pots .I get them in a huge bag from the North American equivalent of Macro, I get more than 200 for less than about 8 quid. I am sure they will have the same over there. The only down size is you have to put a drainage hole in them,, easy with sharp pointed scissors though. Oh and I am using some for the third year so although disposable they don't need to be.

I am sorry not to be able to give you an answer.

XX Jeannine

elhuerto · « **Reply #22 on:** April 14, 2012, 07:45:10 »

I've had great success with loo roll holders. What I do is put some soil in the bottom of a plasterers bucket and then place the loo rolls on top and fill them there, this means that if the roots make it to the bottom before planting out they're not restricted by the bottom of a pot or whatever. Tried and tested with peas, sweetcorn, dwarf french beans and parsnips. Will be sowing the sweetcorn today.

Digeroo · « **Reply #23 on:** April 14, 2012, 10:57:32 »

I will still have mine out once they have chitted. Then between the bottle cloches will be several inches of straw. Hopefully any frost will simly go over the top.

I do not think I am aware of plastic beer containers here, they tend to be aluminium and get recycled. I find that the 500 ml yogurt pots being tapering are easier to get plants out of than straight sided. If not left out in the frost they also will go several years.

I might have a bit of an experiment an try one batch outside in bottle cloches against a batch in pots and see which win.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 14, 2012, 17:29:25 »

I used the looroll tube last year and it worked well... using it again this year... this weekend for the Swifts,

caroline7758 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 14, 2012, 18:13:19 »

I have used loo rolls before, but I've got loads of "pot noodle" containers left by the previous tenant on my plot, so might try those this year.

gwynnethmary · « **Reply #26 on:** April 14, 2012, 20:18:07 »

I've made a load of newspaper pots, the same size as a tin of soup- I think that's what I used two years ago and they all grew well, until Mr. Ratty got there before me!

Digeroo · « **Reply #27 on:** April 14, 2012, 20:33:33 »

I have had a thought, I might line the yogurt pots with newspaper so they can then be slipped straight into the ground will very little disturbance.

Deb P · « **Reply #28 on:** April 14, 2012, 23:13:52 »

I also sow my sweetcorn mid may to plant out first week of June. I use the second hand rootrainers I purchased from eBay a few years ago which are still going strong. I sow as per Jeannine's technique of just pressing the corn into the compost and get great germination that way, they then get planted with plastic bottle cloches, pop bottles cut into a tube which stay on all season; initially they give them a bit of protection from cold and wind, and also keeps slugs/ snails away while they are establishing. Works for me!

jesssands · « **Reply #29 on:** April 15, 2012, 08:40:08 »

I have never grown sweet corn b4.
Yesterday i saw a small pot with what looks like 8/10 seedlings in at the garden centre, so thought i might give it a try.
I understand they want planting in a block but do they need supports/sticks?
And anything else i might need to know!

;D ;D

brown thumb · « **Reply #30 on:** April 15, 2012, 09:36:57 »

My feeling is don't touch those you saw yesterday at a garden centre As their roots might be tangled and you will need to separate them to plant, and sweetcorn don't like their roots disturbed

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 15, 2012, 10:11:56 »

A seconding to that brown thumb :D.... Avoid multi-planted sweetcorn strips/blocks... if they're not in individual modules I wouldn't touch them. You've got time, if you don't have loo rolls then any small pot is OK, or 12-15 cell module trays, start them last week of April under a propagator lid on a windowsill (if you have the discipline then they can go in an airing cupboard at night).... sweetcorn are pretty easy to grow from seed...

jesssands · « **Reply #32 on:** April 15, 2012, 11:07:30 »

Woops.. already bought them! :-[

Shall i give it a go at separating them today whilst they still small?

gazza1960 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 15, 2012, 11:19:19 »

We have tried both methods and both were successful,we purchased said trays in our 1st season 2 years ago and after untangling the root mass(not easy) we managed to block plant 30 x 8 inch plants of which a few didnt take or grew poorly....but overal the shop brought ones were Ok..!!!!!!

Last year we Loo rolled 40 seeds last week of April and block grew them 3 sisters style and it worked great
so same again this year.

40 x Golden Bantam Sweetcorn
within the block we grow 10 summer ball F1 hand sized pumpkins that grow randomly along the floor
to cut weed growth and taste lovey roasted by the way.
Finally the block is surrounded by Safari Dwarf French beans that were very productive last term.

Anyway thats our 3 sisters version.

Although I will finish with a Q.....would butternut squash work within the sweetcorn block or would this variety rely too heavily on direct sunlight to grow best..??...We will be growing them anyway in a cloch but wondered if they would work under foliage in the corn block.

GazNjude

Digeroo · « **Reply #34 on:** April 15, 2012, 12:40:25 »

I would separate them asap. Ideally you need at least 12 in a block 3x4 for good pollination. I do them in block 3x6.

My first batch a few have begun to germinate. It is supposed to be very cold tonight so I will put them out tomorrow.

I grew butternut amongst my corn three years ago and was amazed to find four lovely squashes nestling amongst the corn which I had known nothing about. They were the biggest and best ones I had ever grown. The plants were on the west side of the corn and had trailed into the corn. Interestingly the ones outside the corn block were much smaller.

I have not been able to repeat it because of contamination manure, so I am hoping to get back to the three sisters again this year.

I think if I was going to put 40 seeds in loo rolls I would do them in two or three batches/blocks to extend the cropping period.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #35 on:** April 15, 2012, 13:01:49 »

That's sort of what I'm doing to extend the period too... THis early batch of Swift will go in a polytunnel, the next batch (in about two weeks will be outside (next to the PT), then there will be a batch of Mirai next week (outside, in a fleece tunnel, other plot) and a second batch of Mirai (three weeks till sowing, outside next t other other Mirai.... Could do with some mechanical means of shcuking sweetcorn.....

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #36 on:** April 15, 2012, 13:09:37 »

Found one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Norpro-18-10-Stainless-Steel-Corn-Cutter-NEW-/320823802318?pt=UK_Babay_Baby_Feeding_Cups_Dishes_Cutlery_LE&hash=item4ab296b9ce sawa video on youtube of someone using one of these (or similar) and a power drill... takes about 10 seconds per ear of corn and most of that was drilling into the corn core to hold and spin the ear or removing the drill from the core... it took about 2 seconds per ear to actually remove the kernels...

gazza1960 · « **Reply #37 on:** April 15, 2012, 13:37:37 »

Thats encouraging Digeroo,the westerly sun does give our block position lots of late evening sunshine so I think we,ll plant some butters on that half and small pumps on tuther,Im afraid our plot postion is in "windy alley" so we tend to block build the 40 together as the density seems to hold the grouping well from the horrid easterlys we get... :-\

steve76 · « **Reply #38 on:** April 15, 2012, 16:20:13 »

I,ve never had much luck with the germination of sweetcorn so this year i got 2 packs of an f1 cannot remember the name at the mo, and guess what every one has come up ::) so i now have 60plus corn that have just poked there heads up ;) think my plot neighbours may be getting given some sweetcorn plants a bit later on ;D

cambourne7 · « **Reply #39 on:** April 15, 2012, 16:40:36 »

A friend of mine planted hers in the bath in her garden a few weeks ago and the sweetcorn is already 4inches high am itching to get going....

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Author Topic: When do you start off your first batch of sweet corn? (Read 7451 times)