Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: bedrockdave on May 15, 2011, 17:44:17
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what have I done wrong ,planted 30 seeds but only 5 have sprouted, they've been in a temp controlled propagater at 18c in the greenhouse..They were coated with something to help them germinate too ???
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Out of my lot the ones which didn't come up were in pots sat in water, the compost was very wet.
Jon
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thought that may be why,will turn the heat up and try to dry it out a bit
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I'm afraid 'cooking' the seeds wont help. Have a look into one of the pots..turn it upside down..is the seeds still 'intact' or have they gone 'mushy'? If so then there is nothing to do than start again with fresh seeds. Sweetcorn seeds and soggy compost don't go well together.. ;)
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I had the same problem, then someone suggested chitting them first, and nearly all came up. So heres what I did; damp kichen roll ( top and bottom - seeds in between) _in a plastic container sealed in a warm-ish place.
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I have never had a problem with sweetcorn seeds, but I have noticed they are the worst type of seed to go mouldy with any seed from a previously opened packet will get mould growing.
I chit first and any with mould get a wipe clean before potting up, and they are fine, but if you are keeping them too wet they will soon rot.
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That is also my experience: chit them first, then straight into a loo roll.
Just planted out 12 robust little plants into my daughter's London allotment.
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I have no problem using this method.
Sow indoors in heat, at 20 C, on top of the compost to prevent the seed rotting, in individual cells in late April. Remember that there is no point in sowing the seed too early, or the plants will become too big before you can plant them out into their final growing positions, when danger of frost has passed. Move the plants to a cooler frost free location such as a cold frame to harden off before planting out in their final positions.
The supersweets need higher temperatures to germinate, with damp compost, not soggy.
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thanks everyone, have checked seeds not germinated and only one soggy so its into the kitchen roll and into the propagater they go...in gentle heat got a couple of seeds left so will try your way too realfood ta
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Used toilet rolls and 8W propagators this year and worked really well, of 72 sown had over 65 up... 24-drop module tray, toilet roll inner in each one, fill tube with multi-purpose, sow seed about 1cm down, put a pint of water with a half-teaspoon of Cheshunt compound in the propagator tray, carefully lower modules into it, turn on the propagators and a week or so later, sweetcorn happens....
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I have grown corn for 50 odd years.
I never soak the seeds.
Only sow in damp not moist soil. you can us an electric propogater if yiu wish but room temp iis fine
They will rot in wt cold soil.
Dead easy to germinate this way. never any losses in decades.
XX Jeannine
Oh and they must not be in pots or mudules more than three weeks after first tiny leaves appear, they stop growing if left in pots too long and can take weeks to pick up once in the ground.Threy hate to be transplanted so you have to fool them
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I put mine under the hot water tank to germinate and they're always up in a couple of days.
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I dib a hole for the seed about 3inches deep pop seed in but dont fill hole.
This works really well for me
good luck with your new batch.
x sunloving
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Thanks for the memory jog, it was so long ago that I grew corn last that I had forgotten about the damp kitchen paper in a tub method. I'm struggling with Mini Pop on the surface of compost so I've kicked off another batch in kitchen paper in a plastic tub and in case it is too cool overnight for them I've put them in a different spot.
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it's stil not too late to resow some then? Mine came up ages ago, but didn't have the time to plant them out and thus, last w/e when I did get the chance, they got broken en route to the lotti (carried them in bags by hand, as well as the runners etc.,) I didn't have any probs. germinating mine. Left mine indoors w/o heat and they came up fine. Would you say it'll take about 5 days or so before they come up? I just don't want to be too late with them as this summer might not be a hot one like last yr... :-\
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...Oh and they must not be in pots or mudules more than three weeks after first tiny leaves appear, they stop growing if left in pots too long and can take weeks to pick up once in the ground.Threy hate to be transplanted so you have to fool them
Aha! this is obviously my problem Jeannine. They look quite puny. :-[
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it's stil not too late to resow some then? Not at all..!!
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that's good to know, goodlife :D :D I'll be v. careful next time when transporting them (we don't have a car). I'll be interplanting mine in the courgette/squash bed later.
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I sow my sweetcorn seed into small pots, give them one good watering and leave them alone. This year as I now have no greenhouse they are in a fleeece covered frame .no heating but only 2 failed to germinate. I think the biggest problem is too much water.They are tending to grow to the light as they are on our balcony
(http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/1742/sweetcorn.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/sweetcorn.jpg/)
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I remember some guru on TV saying that the seed should just be put on top of the compost and only pressed in enough to make good contact. Most of the seed was left exposed.
This has worked well for me.
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Most usual coating is Thiram -pink stuff. Fungicide. Also can help repell things from eating seeds, not sure it does though.
I had a packet of incredible last year and had very poor germination, someone on site put in a row of them carefully marked with the packet and only got one.
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I also tried Incredible last year, didn't get bad germination, but not as good as Extra Tender & Sweet which I have reverted to again this year. I also just press my sweetcorn seeds into the soil in rootrainers, they are up in two days and grow away fast. I've just planted mine out this week.
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Thank you. I can stop wondering what he pink stuff is ::).
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The pink stuff is generally used on Supersweet varieties , it helps prevent rot if temps are down a bit or if the soil is too damp and they are more likely to do so .
Bear in mind that many of the seeds you buy come from the US and there corn is more usually planted straight out into the grouind.
In the North and in the UK starting on pots is better, I start all mine in 4 ich pots, one seed to a pot, three weeks before they go outside, this fools the corn into thinking it has not been transplanted which is absolutely hates. Lionger than three weeks and the corn will stop, even when planted out it will stay quiet for a while, it will eventually grow but most times planting new seed will pass them by as they are not hindered.
Corn hated three things.
Cold, wet and transplanting.
Don't soak, keep them warm and transplant within the time frame and you should not have any problems.
I think it is one of the easiest veggies to grow, as long as you give it what it demands. Complicating it brings problems.
XX Jeannine
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XX Jeannine
Oh and they must not be in pots or mudules more than three weeks after first tiny leaves appear, they stop growing if left in pots too long and can take weeks to pick up once in the ground. They hate to be transplanted so you have to fool them
I had your words in mind today as I tried to gently tease another 'Cherokee Trail of Tears' seedling from it's two-inch module.... But the blinkin' thing stuck like glue and ended up looking like a long dangly thing with roots almost straight by the time I'd got it out.....
I tried to make up for it by planting it as gently as possible and I even went to the trouble of crossing the allotment field to get a watering-can full of ditch water to give it a good watering-in, but I fear the worst... The site is very exposed and the wind is pretty relentless, and compared to the usual 'Scarlet' runner beans they are not doing well at all...
They seem to want more warmth and less wind than the site provides, for now at least.
If I can find the money, I'll buy a couple of bales of straw to act as a windbreak.
I was so looking forward to passing these on too.... Ah well, maybe they'll perk up as summer gets here.
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Nigel have you ever watched the video by Craig in the US about his dense planting, if not I will find it for you, he transplants literally in seconds.
XX Jeannine
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No I haven't Jeannine. The problem was the two-inch modules... the really thin plastic ones... The roots were sticking to the stuff...
I'll know next time. :)
I have had mixed success with all my sweetcorn this year so far. I planted some out a few weeks ago directly into the soil but I haven't seen a single one of those. Two other types I sowed in the unheated greenhouse have seen very different germination rates too. One lot almost all came up, while the other was a waste of time and compost.
There's still time.... As soon as I can afford another pack I'll try again. Originally, I wanted to inter-plant the corn with peas and sunflowers to create shade and, more importantly, a bit of a wind-break.
Try, try, try..... :)
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Ok, I have nevr done this before soi fingers crossed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYgX3y5ptQ
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Ok, I did it !!. The first one is planting the seeds which is followed by transplanting.. you must watch the second oen trust me XX Jeannine
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When i plant out my sweetcorn, I cover them with a cloche to give them some protection from cold nights and cold winds.
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Thanks Jeannine for that tube clip ....very interesting to see. I will be using Craigs method to sow my seedlings next year. I think I would have to label each cell as I am not as organized as Craig :P
Duke
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He also has an excellent blog by the way.
XX Jeannine
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Thank you Jeannine. I found it very interesting & will use the same method. I might try it today as I have lots more to sow ::). I found some large module trays & they will be ideal.
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Well the video was very interesting!!
Gardeners world presentors past and present would be shaken to the roots! by the transplanting video.
We noticed how fine the compost was, with some of the lumpier ones we get to use it would not be that good.
I'll definatly try the tight seedling method esp. early in the season when trying to grow under lights.
Thanks for the posting Jeannine- you did well :D :D :D another trick learned ;)
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thanks for the link Jeannine 8)
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Do you think I should put this link on it's own thread, iut is a bit buried in this one XX Jeannine
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I think that would be a good idea Jeannine ;D.
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I agree ....good idea :)
I can't wait to use my thumb to shove in some seedlings as an experiment ;D
Duke