Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: jellied on March 27, 2009, 22:32:18
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Trying sweetcorn for the first time, and got the first lot on the window sill germinating away. Probably.
It's been a week and nothing has happened. Do they actually show signs? A small root? A stem. My book of all things allotment related doesn't actually spell out what to look for.
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I can't claim to be an expert, but I have some growing in loo roll tubes for the grandchildren to plant out. They've been in a couple of weeks and the tops are showing through - pointed green shoot thingy.
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first thing that happens is a fungal growth starts, then a root, then a shoot! ;)
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Thanks for the tips
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I thought it was a bit early to sow corn but have put some in anyway, we have been saving cobs every year for 5 years now from one a friend gave us, it reproduces well every year. (some do not I am told) I only wish our friend gave us a name for the variety. We call it Dunnow now that we have been asked so often.
I had three cobs saved from last year. I keep them in brown envelopes in separate places, just in case mould or something sets in. Usually not, they keep well. So, I have spread the dried kernels on compost and covered, in a seed tray.
As they appear they get transferred into troll tubes and great care is taken of the long tap root.
If it is too cold to plant out but they are getting a bit big I will stand the troll tubes in some small plant pots half filled with soil or compost to give them a little more space.
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Hi Jellied,
Not sure where you are, but i think its a bit early unless you are putting them in a poly tunnel. I start mine off in a shed on the plot, but they dont go outside until late may, after all risk of frost has gone. When outside plant them in a grid about 15 inch's each way. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated. If you plant them in a sheltered spot, gentle shake the plant when the tassles have formed at the top of the plant. If planted in an open area dont worry the wind will do the work. Think you should get some back up seed, and set some more mid to late april, ready to go out late may. Hope it goes well, best tasting sweetcorn i had last year. Pick just before you take them home then, straight into the pot.
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or cook on site - yum :)
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or cook on site - yum :)
I have always wanted to do that, but i walk off my plot, passed another and straight into my back gate. from plant to pan in under 1 minute. And smothered in real butter.
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Currently they are hopefully germinating on the window sill. i was then going to transfer them to a mini-green house and as you say around plant them.
i've got a 2nd packet which i'll delay doing anything with for another few weeks.
shame the weather has turned nasty down here in London - had big plans today!
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See how they do, but it is a bit early yet. The vital thing with corn is never to let it become rootbound and stop growing. You can get away with early planting provided you keep potting it on till the weather's warm enough to plant it out.
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I have also found that you can't rush Sweetcorn, last year was very good so I will be doing the same again this year, half will be plants that will be put in pots next week, and when the weather is warmer straight in the ground at the end of april going in to May, :)
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As others have said its a bit early yet, I looked back on last years diary I sowed on the 7th of April and most of them took 17 days to germinate, once there up they should not stay in the pot for more than three weeks as Rob said they become rootbound and with the amount I'm sowing I'm not going to pot on, as Jellied says the weathers not great here in London today so when they are ready to go out we want it to be a lot warmer and the winds seem to get worse every year so I will be aiming to plant out about mid May. ;D ;D ;D
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I certainly won't be starting mine until tghe first May Bank Holiday weekend... ::)
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As others have said its a bit early yet, I looked back on last years diary I sowed on the 7th of April and most of them took 17 days to germinate, once there up they should not stay in the pot for more than three weeks as Rob said they become rootbound and with the amount I'm sowing I'm not going to pot on, as Jellied says the weathers not great here in London today so when they are ready to go out we want it to be a lot warmer and the winds seem to get worse every year so I will be aiming to plant out about mid May. ;D ;D ;D
what are you sowing them into and are you using heat to germinate and is mid May generally OK i thought first week of June was the norm, I'm in maidstone Kent, are they able to handle a few coldish nights then?
i really want to get a great crop this year and picked up helpful hints last year on this forum re the three week rule in pots. I'm planning on sowing into recycled bake bean tins with the hope they wont get root bound, was planning to start sowing beginning of May to plant out first week of June. i normally sow in the warm conservatory, this year the plan was once they are up to put them directly into the unheated greenhouse to grow on, does this sound OK ???, I'm so confused now, help!!!!!
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Hi Thifasmon I'll be sowing mine in the plastic water cups I've collected from work, I won't be using heat just letting them come up in the confines of the kitchen. ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Thifasmon I'll be sowing mine in the plastic water cups I've collected from work, I won't be using heat just letting them come up in the confines of the kitchen. ;D ;D ;D
once they have germintaed where are you planning to grow them on before planting out.
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i was then going to transfer them to a mini-green house and as you say around plant them.
I am curious!!
Why do you want to confine them to a mini greenhouse?
These plants grow quite big, they need the wind to pollinate them, and I doubt if you will be able to grow anything under them as they will obscure light from them.
I have grown sweetcorn under cover before now but have never had good results due to bad pollination. Plus they want a lot of water and to give them this under cover ups the humidity and the pollen is not as easily distributed.
In a tunnel with a lot of air space might be OK, but a MINI greenhouse I am not so sure
You asked what they looked like when they germinated? Have a look here; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweetcorn/Sweet%20corn/sweet%20corn.html (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweetcorn/Sweet%20corn/sweet%20corn.html)
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweetcorn/Sweetcorn.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweetcorn/Sweetcorn.htm)
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I found Jeannine's essay on growing sweetcorn very helpful last year and grew the best corn I ever had before, until a badger or something ate it all. I hope this link takes you there:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,40653.20.html
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I sow them one seed in a pot.
Up to 21 days to germinate.
Another 21 days in the pots.
When they look established say 10/15 days up harden off outside in the daytime.
My estimated 42 days will take me into the back end of May.
Plant out after preparing the ground.
This is the way I do it.
Everyone has different ideas and ways and climates so its whats best for you.
And I picked up the 3 week in a pot rule from Jeannine, cheers girl.
Well thats my three pennith for what its worth. ;D ;D ;D
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OH says she does it and does it mid to late April... that's me told... :-[
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A tip i think i got from jeannie is that when you sow them dip the hole put the seed in but dont cover in with soil. I think this is becuase they need light to germinate?
whatever it is it seems to work.
I grew mine early this year becuase i struggled s much last year to get them going.
I got a load of big pots out of a skip outside the plant place last week so they will be going into buckets maybe four a bucket inside the cold greenhouse, and some will go under a tunnel cloche first week in april as we have approx 3 weeks of frost threat left. Cloche has been on to warm up the soil for a couple of weeks.
Good luck with germination.
x sunloving
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thanks for the info guys i have a game plan now :)
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Mine come up pretty fast on the windowsill. Supersweet need the extra warmth, but other types will come up in a cold frame, though they take longer.
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I'm going with the Sweetcorn I planted last year 'Earlybird' lovely big sweet cobs, :)
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This will be my 2nd attempt at growing sweetcorn, tried it once many moons ago and it didn't really work out - bit hit and miss. So this thread has proved very timely and very useful, particularly Jeannines post. So thanks for all the great info. timing seems to be the key thanks CornyKev, I think I will follow your dates
I have a little placcy greenhouse in the garden and as I don't really want to have to take them in and out of the house on a daily basis was just going to put them in there but have been thinking about making a coldframe up on the plot and thought maybe the sweetcorn would be better of up there.
Now I need to work out how many seeds to sow for the area I have planned
I'm trying Ashworth from real Seeds ;D
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ill agree with most here too early if there in the pots more than three weeks the root goes round and around becomes pot bound so when they go into the soil they never settle well dont tend to grow as should do wont be starting mine for a while have only just sown the squash and pumkins as they go in the same soil everyyear
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Best tips I have been given:use roottrainers or similar to give a long root run, and to sow three weeks before you want to plant out, so for me its mid May. Press the seeds into the soil and leave uncovered, I now get 100% germination in just a few days, and they grow so strongly at that time of year they catch up and surpass anything grown earlier.
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I find I can germinate them in seed trays, leave them 2-3 weeks, pot them up, leave them another 3 weeks, and they grow away strongly.
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Just received my 'Earlybird' sweetcorn from Dobies which are their own F1 seed, :)
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Just received my 'Earlybird' sweetcorn from Dobies which are their own F1 seed, :)
I'm going to give Earlibird a go this year, it'll be at one end of the plot, the Blue Hopi (a blue indian flint type I'll use for popcorn) will go at the other.....
chrisc
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Best tips I have been given:use roottrainers or similar to give a long root run, and to sow three weeks before you want to plant out, so for me its mid May. Press the seeds into the soil and leave uncovered, I now get 100% germination in just a few days, and they grow so strongly at that time of year they catch up and surpass anything grown earlier.
Thanks for the info Deb, I was planning on using loo rolls instead of root trainers, so will hopefully avoid root disturbance etc
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If I can jump on the sweetcorn bandwagon ...
I think I may have been a bit over eager. I planted the seeds in loo roll tubes and they are about 5" tall now and I gather it is far too early to be planting them out. Also the tips of the leaves are turning brown. Should I stop and start again, or can they be saved? Last year I was fairly successful growing them, but I did buy the plants from the local market (so that was cheating).
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I'm going to give Earlibird a go this year'
Chriscross
I don't think you will be dissapointed with 'Earlybird', :)