Topic: sweetcorn sown direct

[David R]

Is it a good time to sow directly into the ground?

I have had a pretty miserable showing from those sown earlier in greenhouse and would like to augment the numbers.

Any tips.....

[amphibian]

Do you have soil which is not 90% water?

[laurieuk]

If you have had as much rain in the last few days as we have  would not sow outside as sweetcorn is apt to rot when germinating.If you sow inside and avoid very much water youe plants should catch up quicker than sowing outside.

[amphibian]

If you have had as much rain in the last few days as we have  would not sow outside as sweetcorn is apt to rot when germinating.If you sow inside and avoid very much water youe plants should catch up quicker than sowing outside.

Well I'm in Kent, as are thou and David, and my allotment is now two streams and a lake. I popped up last night and it is hell, both springs are back to life and the water is running down the hill and collecting at the bottom. Certainly far from ideal for sowing corn.

[Doris_Pinks]

I am close to you 3 and am thinking a rice paddy might be an option! ;)

David I was going to sow some more sweetcorn inside today as I put one lot of mine out to harden them off the other day and the rain battered them  :(

[amphibian]

I am close to you 3 and am thinking a rice paddy might be an option! ;)

David I was going to sow some more sweetcorn inside today as I put one lot of mine out to harden them off the other day and the rain battered them  :(

Yeah I lost most of a tray to the powerwash from the sky, I'm just glad I have spares.

[fbgrifter]

i pre-chitted mine, sowed direct when they germinated and covered with a cloche...fingers crossed

[tricia]

I sowed a few more Ovation, pre-chitted, a week ago before the rains came and they are now showing about an inch high, so 5 days of heavy rain didn't seem to bother them. I now have these and the Tender and True raised in the greenhouse and planted out at the beginning of the month. I can't wait to see if they will produce some lovely corn cobs later this summer (what summer ???). It's my first attempt growing sweet corn here in the southwest.

Tricia

[keef]

I sowed mine direct before we had all the rain over the last week or so  :( No sign of them yet - but i hav'nt given up hope completely.

[busy_lizzie]

We sowed ours in cardboard toilet tubes indoors,  - they have been planted out for a while now but they are covered in a cloche which has only been removed temporarily when the sun is shining.  ::)  Back under cover for night time. Wouldn't dare risk direct sowing as they would just perish, but then we are in the northerly end of the country. busy_lizzie

[ermck1]

fbgrifter mentions pre chitting. Is this as simple as soaking the seeds overnight or is there more to it?

Look forward to hearing.

Mike

[glow777]

put on damp kitchen paper - keep them wet and warm and wait until they sprout - usualy a few day - week or so

[fbgrifter]

ditto glow

[cowpie]

We sowed sweetcorn into our London soil two weeks ago: two seeds per station, each under a plastic bottle cloche.

95% success so far. I think the bottles kept the seeds warm and held most of the rain out.

[David R]

ten sweetcorn went out today, in the quagmire that is my garden, sown 5 weeks ago in kitchen rolls but only about 4-5 inches high.

Decided to sow a few more in toilet rolls today as the ground is liquid  ::)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine were sown back in March and are now well-established little plants sitting in trays under cloches. They should shoot away once the weather warms up a bit and they get planted out.