Growmore and Sweetcorn

[Mr Smith]

After planting out my Sweetcorn plants in the next couple of weeks would a dressing of fertiliser be ok because the ground they are going in does not seem to have been manured in the last couple of years :)

[Mr Smith]

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

i'm in the same situation, with the sweetcorn having to go in the worst bit of the plot. Sweetcorn is about the most fertiliser hungry crop there is - so yes. Lots of lime too, if you can

[Mr Smith]

RT,
       any suggestions on what levels of lime should I apply to the sweetcorn, I have plenty of granulated chicken manure?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

just checked about lime and sweetcorn, and my book says soil should ideally be slightly acid, so perhaps forget about the lime. I've never used chicken manure, so I don't know about that (either)

[saddad]

We don't lime ours.. but rake in some growmore to start off. Then they might get fed with Urea to get them growing and seaweed later on...  :-\

[PurpleHeather]

Last year but one, (last year was wet the one before dry) a fellow allotment holder watered a weak solution of growmore on to their sweetcorn every day. (half a teaspoon in a one and a half gallon can) The plants grew to giant proportions and looked wonderful. The corn harvested was bigger than the ones which were just given plain tap water and a feed once a week.

No lime was used.

Both were bigger than those which had been given no fertiliser at all.

It was not a proper scientific experiment, the varieties differed and the soil quality would not have been totally identical.

[davyw1]

After planting out my Sweetcorn plants in the next couple of weeks would a dressing of fertiliser be OK because the ground they are going in does not seem to have been manured in the last couple of years :)

Sweetcorn are what i call gobblers they will take all the feed and water you can give them.
This is no recommendation but its what i do and it works. I put a ring of Growmore, Calcified Plus or Fish Blood and Bone and Organic Manure IE Rooster, Chicken Manure around each plant so it feeds directly down onto the roots.
I put some of the organic manure into a water barrel for watering the plants as there is no goodness in tap water.
If the soil is dry they get a drink every day to keep the soil moist and a liquid feed from the barrel once a week. The next thing is to give them a mid season feed, i just give the ground a top dressing of Organic Manure and Growmore.

[cleo]

Sweetcorn is `hungry` so feed if in doubt. And when you start to see the `hen`s foot` root system earth them up -Mr Flowerdew gave this tip some years ago and it does help

[Mr Smith]

All this talk of being fed, I'll think I will come as a Sweetcorn plant :) ;D

[Tee Gee]

As a general rule; I never feed anything again after the initial feed they get when I prepare the ground for the plants,

The exceptions are things over wintered outdoors e.g. Jap onions, garlic and spring greens.

In most cases this is a nitrogen feed kick start them into growth

Basically I only feed stuff under glass e.g tomatoes!

Have done this for years and I am quite happy with the results I get!

Apart from the expense, I find that by feeding somethings they can  become too lush, which (in my opinion) I think makes them more prone to attack from pests & diseases.

Grow them hard is my motto!

[Deb P]

I planted my sweetcorn out last night in my old strawberry bed, which was filled with the year before last's Christmas tree shreddings. I thought I would give this a go as if the strawberries (which are just in flower) do not do so well they are due to be culled anyway, so I will remove them and let the sweetcorn have a bit more room. The soil should be on the acid side from the pine needles, so I'll let you know how they both do..... ;D
I usually feed everything with Seasol (liquid Seaweed). and the odd handfull of pelleted chicken manure if they need a boost.