Sweetcorn in peat pots

[Justy]

I am so glad I stumbled on this site by accident!  This is my first year on the allotment and I would like some advice about planting out the sweetcorn.  I read somewhere that they do not like having their roots disturbed so I sowed the seeds in peat pots.  

Luckily I had 100% germination so have about 20 Conqueror and 20 Minipop.  The problem(?) is that the compost level has dropped as they have been watered so do I plant the pots with the top of the pot sticking out of the ground or do I submerge the whole pot?   ???

p.s how big do the spud tops have to be before I earth them up?!

[Justy]

[kenkew]

Sweet corn: Top-up the level with a mix of compo and fine grit. I'd hold back awhile before planting out, but you should be thinking cold frame now.
Spuds: Earth up as often as possible. Do it until you run out of the soil you made your trench with.

[Mrs Ava]

I planted mine exactly the same, and yup, the compost level dropped dramatically.  I have topped them up, but if it drops again, I shall just wrip off the excess pot before planting so that they are flush with the ground.

[Multiveg]

Conqueror, I think, is a supersweet variety of sweetcorn. These should be kept as far apart from ordinary sweetcorn. Minipop sweetcorn does not need to be fertilised (for baby sweetcorn), so I think it would be ok to nip off the top male flowering thingwhatsit.

[adamhill100]

Just seen the comment that Sweet Corn does not like roots disturbed
I was going to transerfer mine from the pot which I have 4 growing into their own pots! Do you think this will cause problems?  

[The gardener]

I sow mine in 2" cells first then pot them up into 3" pots when they are a couple of inches high, and have had no problems after moving them.

I like to sow mine quite late (see other thread) in this way I don't have to pot them up again before planting them out in the beds.

This method seems to keep them from getting pot bound, which I think can be more of a problem than the odd broken root.

[adamhill100]

That makes me feel better! I'll try and be as gentle as possible with them.. Thanks

[Justy]

Thanks all.  I will not bother with the peat pots next year then.  They are pretty expensive so any excuse not to use them!  I am hoping to plant the corn out at the weekend and cover them with cloches - what do you think?  I am in Worcestershire which is usually quite mild anyway.

[kenkew]

I have two batches growing. One in loo rolls and one in plastic piping. They'll both stay there until the week-end when I'm planting them out. The loo rolls I'll simply bury, the plants in plastic I'll just push out and plant. I'll see what happens and compare both lots.

[derbex]

I seem to remember using a peat pot that my dad had left over for a runner bean and the thing struggle compared to the ones in loo rolls. I think it was because the ground was relatively dry and I should have soaked the pot, so that it could get out.

Most of this years sweetcorn in loo rolls failed to come up the first time -I think I moved them into the greenhouse too soon, as soon as the 1st couple showed, and they didn't germinate and rotted off. As the compost had shrunk I soaked some seed popped them on top, covered them (just) with more compost, and they've come up. Tight or what :)

Jeremy

[Wicker]

They say there are exceptions to every rule - hope my sweetcorn realise that! ;)  They started in modules, went into 3" pots and then into 4.5/5" pots where they are still growing - too big now to put under plastic bottles let alone when they do eventually get into the ground.  Oh I hope all this works - my first time for sweetcorn so it's trial and error but lots of help and advice available in A4A thank goodness.