Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Suffolklad on April 18, 2005, 12:07:50
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Hi all
Never grown sweetcorn before......well actually I've never grown much in the way of veg AT ALL before this year ! ::)
I started my sweetcorn off last Thursday in a heated windowsill propogator.
I've read that they don't like their roots disturbed, so I planted them in loo roll tubes cut in half and filled with compost.
Packet said 6-10 days, but this morning they are up, some of them an inch high.
I've transferred them into a plastic tray now, but what worries me is some of the roots are sticking out by 2-3 inches already - they are clearly going to grow into one another and my whole strategy is ruined :o Is a half loo roll too shallow ?
Any ideas anybody ?
Mike
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I would say that half a loo rool was to little. From experience corn has always germinated rather quickly for me. And indoor they grow rather quickly. I usually start mine in the largest root trainer.
Also, you might have started them a bit too soon... ?!? I always start mine the first week in May....
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End April is soon enough for sowing. Start them off in paper-pots about bean tin size.
All may not be lost with the ones you have at the moment. Re-pot each plant into a paperpot along with it's loo roll and move into a cooler place to slow it down a little.
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Seed companies don't exactly help newbies do they ?
Packet says sow indoors in April or May or outdoors in May.
To avoid a glut with them all ripening at once I started some off last week, and some more this morning (but used the whole loo roll this time).
I have another variety that says sow in May in a propogator !!
I suppose I've started my runner beans and marrows too early now too...... >:(
Thanks for your advice - I had come to the same conclusion of popping my seedlings straight into another pot as they are. I don't have any paper pots though - only ever heard of peat ones. Trying to do self sufficiency on a tight budget - hence the loo rolls.
Mike
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I don't have any paper pots though - only ever heard of peat ones. Trying to do self sufficiency on a tight budget - hence the loo rolls.
Mike
see kenkew's excellent paper pot making tutorial here:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,8351.0.html
I was making pots yesterday from the Daily Mail (well, it's got to be useful for something I suppose) using a strong cardboard tube that posters come in as a guide. They're a smaller diameter than baked bean tin ones, slightly bigger than loo rolls, so hopefully ideal for sweetcorn.
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Allotmentchooks, you are not the only one to have started them off early - Mine have been in for over a month :-\ Leaving the next batch until later this month though - we shall see which ones turn out best!
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Ta for all the info! Me too - mine germinated overnight and were about an inch high before I looked at them. I'll get on and repot them :)
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ours are in the ground under pop bottle cloches...
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Mine are still in the packet ;D
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Better than still in the packet at the garden centre I suppose ::)
Mike
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Sowed mine -in loo roll inners- yesterday and they're not up yet >:( >:(
Seriously, on the packet it said indoors in April and it's mid-April.
Last year I did them in the greenhouse and they rotted, so this year they're inside, might even go in the airing cupboard tonight.
Jeremy
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The secret to germinating SweetCorn kernels is not to plant too deep, just on/under the surface. Check out May edition of Kitchen Garden magazine, there is a reader tip about them. Also brilliant idea to germinate seedlings in old plastic guttering and then sliding the lot into a prepared furrow....Brilliant idea!
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But how do you get the guttering (filled with seeds) in the back of a mini to take to the lotty? Beats me ???
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Now is a great time to sow sweetcorn in the greenhouse so long as you can keep them warm. Mine went in this morning and they'll be going out under cloches in about 3 or 4 weeks time
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Mine went in last Sunday...now the plans are being put into place to make sure I get my fair share this year.
The war of attrition against Mr Badger has commenced... the barracades will be errected ;) I am considering watch towers and searchlights...all depends on costs ;) ;D
Derek
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I've never sown or grown sweetcorn so I hope folks keep posting on their progress. I have sown mine in my heated propagator. They germinated dead quick and now they are tall and leggy but I'm keeping them indoors as it cold out :)
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Well so much for hoovering and polishing - looks like i'll be making paper pots for the rest of the morning!!
I'm having the same problem with my sweetcorn, all looks well on the surface - they've been sat on my windowsill for 10 days and are about 1" tall but when I picked one of the peat pots up earlier the roots are about 6" long. I was in a panic, having read they don't like their roots disturbed so I'll try the paper pot idea. Can't beat a bit of folding and sticking - more fun than cleaning any day :). See if i'm still saying that when i'm surrounded by scraps of paper and yards of sweetcorn roots....
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Wardy,
I use a propogator after a couple of seasons when they failed to germinate in very light compost in an unheated greenhouse.
I'm in NW Hampshire and don't sow until the end of April and they rapidly germinate, spend a couple of weeks in the greenhouse, one week in the frame and them the allotment with plastic bottle cloches for a day or 2.
Phil
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Thanks Phil
If I've been a bit premature I've got plenty of seed left. The roots are dead long aren't they. I have one seed which doesn't look to have germinated but I lifted the pot up to feel the weight as it looked dry and there was really long rootlet sticking out the bottom of the pot. I've sowed them in the paper pots :)
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Dont forget, come planting out do not plant in rows. Instead plant in blocks as corn relies on air pollination. By planting in blocks you will get fuller ears of corn and a better crop.
Jerry
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Thanks so much for all your advice - isn't the internet wonderful ?
We are not highbrow enough to have a broadsheet in the house, so I had to make do with the Daily Mirror :o
There weren't any images showing on the link page for paper pots, so I got by with a mixture of guesswork and prayer :
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/uk2day/chooks/sweet.jpg)
I sat the loo rolls in the top of the paper pots so that the roots have something to grow into and don't run riot. Seems to have worked ok - only time will tell.
Nature took a hand in "slowing down" the second trayful - a bl***y snail in the greenhouse took the young shoots off ALL of them ! Hopefully they will recover.
The snail is in big trouble if I find him - extra protein for the chooks !
Mike
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They look right to me Mike :)
Hope you find that snail!
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I made the mistake of sowing them in pots.
Up they came the roots showing through the bottom of the pot. So today I've planted them out... wondering whether to start off some more, just in case they don't like the disturbance. ???
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First time I grew sweetcorn (in my first year of sowing seeds!) I grew them in pots and they worked beautifully. Got loads of cobs off them. Last year I decided to try them in loo rolls and they all withered to nothing after planting out. My point to Alimo really - be gentle with them and I'm sure they'll be fine!
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How many rows would you plant to form a block?
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Thanks Aqui - now I'm looking out of the window worried about tomorrow's weather !
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How many rows would you plant to form a block?
However many you have. Last year I had 9 plants in a 3x3 block and that worked pretty well - once the plants are producing pollen, tap the stems to release it and aid pollination.
This year I'm hoping to do at least three times as many.
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Blimey....I think I've gone a bit overboard with my 50-odd plants then :o
Maybe I can do a remake of "Fields of Fire" or something ::)
Mind you - they are to feed the chooks too.................
Mike
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I plant either 4x3 or 4x4 rows. Don't forget you can always catch crop between them.
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Blimey....I think I've gone a bit overboard with my 50-odd plants then :o
Maybe I can do a remake of "Fields of Fire" or something ::)
Mind you - they are to feed the chooks too.................
Mike
I'd do that many (and more) if I had room - but squeezing everything in means that it just isn't feasible....
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i shall now confess...
years ago(about 20-odd)..me and the oh were new to growing things...we planted some sweetcorn plants and we kept looking and looking.....nothing was happening.....we looked and looked.....nothing-nowt-nada!
then we stopped looking at the tassels at the top and noticed bloomin great fat corn cobs FURTHUR DOWN THE PLANT!!!!!!!!!
well.....no-one told us that the tassels at the top had nothing to do with the cobs-duh! ::) ::) ::)
much rejoicing when we found 'em tho!
kitty ;D
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then we stopped looking at the tassels at the top and noticed bloomin great fat corn cobs FURTHUR DOWN THE PLANT!!!!!!!!!
I was doing the same thing last autumn, looking at other plotholders plants ;D
The hardest thing with being a total newbie to this is not knowing how much of different things to plant. I have 3 plots, and I think I'm committing the classic beginners error by planting too much...................
Mike
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I plant either 4x3 or 4x4 rows. Don't forget you can always catch crop between them.
Lots of peole have great success with squashes, marrows and cucumbers between the corn. I plant them on the edge of the sweet corn block and trail the plants into the block.
My "blocks" are in 4' 6" by 15' beds that's 3 x 10 corns (less any for the marrows etc)
Last year the corns produced 2 cobs on average and I have 2 beds - this means there are still a few cobs in the freezer now.
Lettuce is also good between the corns as it appreciates the shade
Phil
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First time I grew sweetcorn (in my first year of sowing seeds!) I grew them in pots and they worked beautifully. Got loads of cobs off them. Last year I decided to try them in loo rolls and they all withered to nothing after planting out. My point to Alimo really - be gentle with them and I'm sure they'll be fine!
How big were the pots and what soil medium did you use?
Thanks
Nell
P.S newbie alert! hi to everyone and thanks for all the posts I've been reading over the past couple of weeks
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I always put my seed into pots about middle of this month. I plant out early june when frost has gone. I have never had a problem planting straight from pot. I dig out small hole and put some rooster booster in hole and set sweet corn on top of this before filling in hole. They get away very quick with this feed and have always done very well. I also grow the mini-cobs for stir fries, when you grow these they do not have to be planted in blocks as the mini corn is picked as soon as the"tassles" form on the cobs and are picked before they are fertilised. I get about five from each plant.
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I grew Sweetcorn for the first time last year...thirty plants all weel over six feet high doing great.
Along comes Mr Badger and in a couple of days took most of the cobs...not just mine but other plotholders crops too.
This year its war...the plants are already in pots (another thirty) and the defenses are being meticulously planned... chicken wire fencing.
Any other thoughts welcome...watch towers, searchlights all considered ;D
Derek
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My only thought is that badgers will go through chicken wire like it doesn't exist.
Sorry
Mike
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Can someone explain the pumkin/squaush in between the corn thing please :)
L.
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L
You are meant to leave a fair distance between each corn plant (about 30 cm). That leaves a lot of bare soil going to waste between them. So people sow salad crops and other stuff that will use up the space but hopefully not deprive the corn of the nutrients it needs. I think that's the idea anyhow!
I tried sweetcorn last year - they looked great up until a point, at which the cobs all turned brown and the foliage went straw-like - BEFORE the cobs had ripened. Most disappointing. I started them in large containers and like others have said, only to hear later about them not liking root disturbance. So, I am trying again this year with the loo rolls. Planted them out yesterday and realised the roots were all growing out of the bottoms, so I hope they're going to be alright. :-\
Charlie
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I love sweetcorn so planted 100 plants last year, on a grid spacing of about 500mm. Yielded a total of 129 sweetcorn if I remember correctly.
Also planted 4 winter squash plants amongst them, which also fruited well.
Am hoping to plant similar quantities this year . . .
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Cheers Charlie, I am going to put some seeds in tomorrow I think.
I also did a search today and found that Native indians would grow squash in between corn to ward off racoons and the like because of the spikey leaves.
L.
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Don't have raccoons down here - perhaps it will work on the birds.....
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if you dont have raccoons,it obviously worked! ::) ;D
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Must have scared them off really well.... or maybe it was our 8 ft high scarecrow that did it....
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You can also grow climbing beans up the sweetcorn plants
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Last year was my first for corn too - planted 30 in a block closer than recommended (I did less than 12" each way) but no interplanting as I believe the native americans only did that to conserve moisture in the shade provided by the tall corns. Most of our plants are nowhere near as high as the ones they grew so I didn't risk growing peas etc up them. Anyway I gave them loads of water during the growing season and had great success - 30 ( 6 x 5) plants in a small space each providing at least 2 to 3 cobs.
This years lot (45) are in the g'house coming along nicely thank you (fingers crossed, fingers crossed!!)
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Hi 'n ty guys just realised I have forgotten to start mine. They won't grow in the packet will they LOL
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I am growing sweet corn for the first time this year. As I understand they need a bit of heat to germinate. They got this inside in a plastic container. They all germinated quickly and I've put some in 3 inch pots in my tiny green house but the majority I've put out already under cloches. It seemed like a good method but I'll have to report again if I get a good emergence of plants. Does anyone think this may not work?
mike
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Think I'm going to have regard sweetcorn as a bit of an experiment this year, and stay resigned to their inevitable lost :( Mine all germinated very happily, sitting on a window sill, but then I read posts about the long roots, and sure enough, when checked they were all making a bid for freedom through the bottom of the pots. So, root disturbance or not, they had to be repotted. Guess that means that when it comes to planting out they're going to be very resentful, if they're not already - they're sitting sullenly back on the window sill at the moment, glowering at me!
Ah well - it was interesting to see what one looks like 'in the flesh'.
Ellkebe
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i think ellkebe,(bit of a newbie to most things altho i have grown corn before")that you could also get another packet(for a succesive sowing)and do them in peat pots-or similar-for the roots to wiggle thru and so you can plant straight in the ground-this year i didnt even use heat to start mine off just a sunnny window sill-and altho they arent romping away they are creeping along ok! :D
kitty
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I might give that a go. Thanks Kitty :)
Ellkebe
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ok....on to the next stage.................
Do I just plant them straight into the ground, loo roll and all ?
Or do I unravel it ?
My trusty book says that sweetcorn put out side "tiller" roots from the base of the stem, if I leave them in the tubes will these be hindered ?
Also, I moved them from my heated indoor propogator to a cold greenhouse (well bl**dy hot today actually !) - do I need to harden them off or can they go straight out ?
Thanks for your help
Mike
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grew sweetcorn last year and did them in 3" peat pots. As a lot of you have found they germinated really quickly and roots poked out the bottom . I have to admit I just left them as they were. Planted them when they were about 6-8 inches tall and they did brilliantly. This years are looking great already - very sturdy little things.
I am going to try the 3 sisters thing this year but with French beans and courgettes.
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in the past i put them in the ground loo roll(and sometimes peat pots)an'all.....they can root right thru these things......remember to plant in blocks not in a line...mine are in an unheated greenhouse but at the moment with warm muggyish weather the doors are open all day...with ventilation at night...i think i'll plant out mid may all being well-i'm on my third successive sowing today...
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Doing mine in newspaper pots and hoping that the roots go right through. If they don't, please tell me different before it is too late.
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yes-it'll be fine-i've done some french beans in newspaper pots-their roots are thru!
kitty
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Last years went in loo rolls and all and were SUPERB! Mind you, gotta thank you lot for all of the growing advice as I had failed every time before. This year have 4 different varieties now on the go, 2 already through and big and strong, 1 just poking through, and 1 only sown at the end of last week. I am thinking I need a 3rd allotment for all of this. I am getting carried away! HELP ME! :-\ ;D ;)
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hi all,
i grew F1 minipop next to F1 swift super sweet last year.
Alot of the swift cobs were FREAKY. I don't know if cross pollenation was the problem or something else. They still tasted alright but some cobs had about 10 fully ripened seeds each surrounded by nothing??
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I have never tried growing sweetcorn is it easy compared to other stuff? potatoes,beans,peas etc?
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Hi X, I have always found it fairly easy, I plant mine through black weed suppressant membrane, into well manured soil and they seem to romp away with very little attention from me! ;D (now those kind of veg we like!) DP
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Man, these things grow fast!
I put em in and they germinated in a few days. the next I had to make paper pots to sort the roots out.
When does one put these babies in the ground? at about 6-8" like another post?
L.
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The 'norm' is the end of May (unless protected) - at 18" spacing. And I stick to it.
But everyone has their own rules!
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x,
I've found that they're once they've germinated they are hard to stop!
They do need to be warm to germinate or I've found that they rot off, so I do it in a propogator. They also produce a very long root so a deep pot is required - I use rootrainers
Once they've germinated (mine have started today after 3 days in the propagator) you need to apply the brakes or they can become leggy very quickly. So as soon as they show through, they're out of the prop and into a coolish part of the greenhouse for a couple of weeks then a week hardening off ready to plant out at the end of the month.
I give them a start on the allotment under half 2litre plastic bottles for a week, this gives them a good start and, with a couple of slug pellets inside the bottle, a fighting chance with the moluscs!
Phil
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I potted mine up about 7 or so days ago in my little propogator house, they seem a bit wet although I have not watered them much at all, I'm worried that they will rot.
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Regarding interplanting other stuff around sweetcorn I found the following link on the internet & it's something I'm trying this year for the first ever time. It's something from America, used by native indians & is called the "Three sisters method"
http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html
CC
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THe 3 Sisters method has sweet corn with climbing beans climbing up the corn and squashes growing in the shade between them.
It should be noted that where this technique originated, the corn grows over 5' tall making it a good support for the beans. The beans are fairly "gentle" climbers". In the UK you are unlikely to get this height and, with vigorous runners, may well just strangle the corn. The other point to note is that haricot beans were used; the crops were all harvested at the same time when all were dry. Picking green beans from poles with easy access is diffcult enough, trying to find and pick them from a block of corn, without standing on the squashes sounds interesting!
The underplanting with squashes definitely does work. In the very hot summer a couple of years ago the corn's shade reduced the amount of water needed by the squashes.
Elsewhere someone suggested the use of French beans in place of climbers - I don't think this will work as they need sun and won't get it as underplanting
Phil
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i've got 11 young corn plants (one didnt happen) if i plant 4 across and 3 back i can plant 3 courgettes inbetween the ones in the front (to get the sun and to reach easily) do i put courgettes down the sun facing side aswell and has anyone any ideas for the other gaps?
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LG
The underplanting works for trailing curcubits, not bushes as yours sound to be.
The curcubits are planted where there would be sweetcorn not between them - the trailing stem runs between the corns.
Phil
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I grew some with F. Beans and Runners last year and it worked well. Got beans & corn, by and large strangulation wasn't a problem, although I did get one or 2 funny shapes :)
Jeremy
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phil
totally lost me there i'm afraid. what are curcubits? and what do you reckon is a bush, the sweetcorn?
I need advice in lamens terms please.
i have 11 (hopefully 12) sweetcorn plants, i have planted them out 2ft x 18in apart, (under cloches!!!,) what can i plant in between to get the most out of my space. i have got
Dwarf french beans
Courgettes
burpless cucumber
bush tomatoes
climbing beans
and loads of other stuff not yet started, lettuces, carrots etc, radishes you know where i'm coming from
please somebody tell me exactly what to plant
ta ever so much
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LG,
Sorry about that.
Curcubits are sqaushes, marrows, cucumbers and courgettes.
You don't plant the curcubits betwwen the corn, as you have spaced it, you plant one in place of a corn and then trail the stem between the corns.
I was assuming that the courgettes were a bush variety because of the way you described your proposed planting.
As I said early I think dwarf beans would not do well as they will be shaded by the corn (and strangled by the curcubits).
As you have planted your block of corn I would plant the curcubits at the edge of the block and trail the stems between the corns
Regards
phil
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phil, thanks for that, i'm a bit of a novice and we've just moved to a house with a massive garden, greenhouse, vinehouse, potting shed type thing etc, so i've got my work cut out for me, i'm trying lots of different thing. i'm so glad i've found this site, its brilliant, i've got loads of books & magazines on gardening, but i tend to get a bit confused cos sometimes they say slightly different things.
i'm gonna do as you say, plant my courgettes just in fornt of my block in the gaps. do u suggest putting straw down? to help keep my 'curcubits' clean. what do you reckon to putting the odd lettuce between the gaps that i can reach?
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Sounds exciting stuff littlegem :) Your doggy looks lovely by the way :)
I've never grown corn before but am thinking of planting squashes and maybe climbing french beans up the corn (not so rampant as runner beans), and some courgettes round the edges
It doesn't matter if at all doesn;t go to plan Ithat's if you have a plan) but you have to experiment a bit - trial and error is ok I think. ;D
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the bloke putting up our cat run/fruit cage(which by the way is absolutely bloomin fanblinkintastic!!!.....sorry-got carried away there-but i have waited for this for 13 months.......)where was i?
yes-well-he said-have you got a plan for the garden-(eyeing my vegetables...)
a plan???
a PLAN???
my whole life has been unplanned so far i'm not going to spoil it all now by planning anything!
i e v o l v e...and so should a garden....... ;D
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My Sweetcorn last year was fantastic. Only problem was that after picking 4 cobs one weekend the following weekend every cob had been pulled from the plant and eaten. The empty husks were lying all over the place. I thought possibly rats? my neighbour said badgers ?? has anyone had similar problems and how can I stop the same thing happening thuis year?????
Regards
Chriszog
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Sounds like a neighbour to me! Who had a barbecque near you????
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my sweetcorn have been going a couple of weeks now on a warm windowsill and all coming along strongly, the tallest is about 6" and the shortest about 2" but with leaves open and doing well, most are 4".
do you think i can put them in the plastic growhouse outside or should they stay in longer?
never grown the stuff before..
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I have mine in a cold frame at the moment. They germinated in there and are about 4 inches tall now. They will stay in there till the end of the month I expect.
This is in the South by the way.
Jerry
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I planted mine out in the week, they'd been outside in their loo rolls for a bit but had outgrown them. Great timing ::) -first frost in a month. They seem to have survived though they're down between the broad beans and it was a v. light frost. Now I'm more worried about the beans -although I suspect the real enemy is the slug (they have bottle collars to help though).
Now I'm starting to think about a late sowing, end of June?
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I'm going on holiday tomorrow, so I've had to just take a chance and bung em all in the ground - didn't even get a chance to harden them off ! Same with my tomatoes, marrows and runner beans. Others on the lotty have planted them already, and mine seem to have survived two really cold nights, so here's hoping.
Thanks for all your tips and advice. I have a whole load more of sweetcorn seed that I am going to just plant straight into the ground when I get back from holiday.
Mike
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Interesting stuff. Has anyone tried pod peas running up sweetcorn?
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My corn and a batch of squashes went out today - so far we haven't have any frosts..........tempting fate or what! Needs must, have several trips fast approaching, and no car for a bit so they had to be done.
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right, they can move into the grow house tomorrow.
thanks
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My corn patch. If you really concentrate, and look really really hard, you will be able to see the 60 or so plants that went out today. ;D
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I think you posted the wrong photo ;D
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Blimey EJ - you're brave. We've got a slight chance of frost next week and the toms I put out at the weekend are starting to look a little frazzled, despite their bubblewrap duvet over night, although my spuds are fine.
but anyway - I'm not sure I believe you. Where are they?
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Hello , overhere, podpeas sweetcorn ?
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fellow northerner ;)
I've read lots of posts about sweetcorn and not alot of peeps recommend climbers. as they sometimes strangle the corn. i'm gonna do courgettes in front of middle of aisles, as suggested in previous post.
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Nope northener, never tried anything up the corn plants. Mind you, my interplanted squashes sometimes make a break for the heavens and set off up the corns, but that is unintentional.
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well-thats just answered my question-courgettes it is beneath the corn!
dont think i'd want anything creeping up me sweetcorn-i like to see them unadorned...... ;D
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I started mine in full loo rolls in doors at Easter. Like yours they shot up and out the bottom. I put mine out in the unheated greenhouse which slowed them down but made them robust little plants. I carefully planted out, so as not t damage the root, under an supported fleece on May Bank Holiday. They are growing well. I have them spot sheltered from the wind.
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Companion planting of Sweet Corn, Peas and Pumpkins seems to all the rage. I believe it is an American Indian idea. A few people on our allotment said they are trying it this year.
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If you really concentrate, and look really really hard
Are they the minature sort :D
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Companion planting of Sweet Corn, Peas and Pumpkins seems to all the rage. I believe it is an American Indian idea. A few people on our allotment said they are trying it this year.
Berty if you look back a page on this thread and you'll see it explained and how it may not fully work in our climate
Phil
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i planted my seed straight in the ground on the 24th april, watered well and covered with a clear plastic dust sheet, they grew quickley and the sheet kept the moisture and heat in :), unfortunatly i removed the sheet to early and they gat a little damaged by a frost ive covered them over again and they look a little happier, i hope they survive :-[
is there a reason other than taking up space that people tend to grow in pots and plant out? im new at all this xxx
ive also grown some in pots but im afraid i just bunged them in as i do and their roots are intertwined, im going to plant them out next to the others in groups of three ( with the usual block spacings) as advised by a neighbour?
?
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I start most veg in pots/modules as:
1. I suffer very badly with slugs that give seedlings a very hard time
2. I only have time to visit the allotment at weekends and "things" tend to happen to seedlings during my absences.
The normal reasons are that you get high levels of germination and for "soft" crops you can get a good head start
But if you can succeed in direct sowing then stick with it
Phil
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How long do the roots get? I'm thinking of planting some in a few poster tubes that I have lying around - would 15cm be enough? Or is that too much? The poster tubes are about twice or three times the thickness of a loo roll - will that be too restrictive? Should I stick with paper pots?
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Sarah,
The roots do get very long, but at this time of year, you should be able to plant them out before the roots become a problem.
I don't think the tubes will restrict them, make sure they and the surrounding ground is wet when youy plant them out
Phil
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Well, after all that, I'm convinced that the whole subject is a storm in a toilet roll tube ;D
I followed the suggestions and planted my corn out very early - I had to as we were going on holiday on 14th May and I couldn't leave it to die or go berserk in the greenhouse. I also planted seed direct into the ground when I got back, towards the end of May. I have to say that there is very very little difference between the two lots now. The ones from seed are racing away and will soon have caught the tube-grown plants up.
I'm not bu**ering around with tubes next year, they can go straight in the ground on 31st May :o
Mike
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Allotmentchooks,
You have cheered me up no end.
I thought that I was too late to sow, but shall be down at the lottie
tomorrow planting me sweetcorn seeds ;D
Debs
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Hi Debs
Some people are so easy to please ;D
My neighbour on the lotty only planted his corn a couple of days ago. He's been allotmenteering for years and has brilliant results. He reckons that others may have ripe corn a little while before him, but what the hell he gets a good crop and doesn't lose any to frost.
Mike
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I bought my seeds ages ago but the instructions say on the back of the packet that I can plant ou until July!! Hope to get them in once the first early spuds are out.
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Mine will be going out any day, as soon as exam marking gives me a chance to do it. I just hope they ripen properly this time. I've solved the problem with pumpkins; they were ripening but they weren't the right sort for my fussy lot, but thee really has been a problem with corn in the past, and I tend not to get anything very nice off it.
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Same for me Robert - once marking tests and writing reports is out of the way, I am hoping that I will find more time for the lottie - always hoping though ::)