My sweetcorn died

[Flunky]

I grew it, nurtured it and even sang it songs. It died  :'(.

Seriously though not happy at all. I grew it in pots from seed. When they were about 6" high I put them out. firstly under glass and then bit by bit I removed the glass. 1/2 went brown and died. They seemed to rot at the point where they entered the ground.

So, I have ordered a shed load from T&M. Sue (lovely lady) has confirmed they will be with me next few days.

So my question is :

1) what the heck did I do wrong ?

2) Is it too late to plant out directly ? i cant remember the variety (deleted the order confirmation, idiot.) but i am sure it said early summer sowing.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

F.

[Flunky]

[Stevens706]

Hi, I've had a couple die from, I think, the wind we had last week or so. Even though I tied them to canes, their leaves turned brown and died. Don't know for sure it that was the cause.

I planted out some late ones on Sunday from my second sowing so you should be OK

[Deb P]

Sweetcorn are very susceptible to wind rock, and if they were moving around a lot it can injure the bottom of the stem and rots sets in quite quickly. To help try and prevent this I cosset mine with a ring of plastic bottle over them (about 8" high, sorry, don't do metric!), this helps keep the slimies off long enough for them to grow away. I just keep the plastic rings on all season, easy enough to keep for next year....

[Flunky]

thanks for the replies.

With the new seeds i am going to sow I will try the plastic ring.

Not sure if it was the wind as have scaffold boards around edge and they were under glass. They just seemed to have rotted.

Thanks

F.

[saddad]

Make sure your new seeds are a modern variety.. they need a much shorter growing season than the "originals"... bred to grow this far north where we can't rely on 120 hot summer days in a row!!  ::)

[cornykev]

Mine don't look to healthy either, then they should be soaking up a bit of sun by now.  :( :'(       :-\     ;D ;D ;D

[jennym]

Young sweetcorn plants don't like to be waterlogged, moist yes but also well drained.
You may find that if you water the sweetcorn only from the bottom, they tend not to rot off. Here they are raised in rootrainers, have found these give best results - also seeds can be planted direct into the soil around now.

[cornykev]

Hi Jen hows the matching bag and car.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[jennym]

Bag got chucked, car still limping along ta!

[PurpleHeather]

May be the variety is too tender or that you harmed the big long 'tap root when planting out.

It can be a quick grower.

If you have some more seeds then plant each one either in a pot or root trainer or t/roll inner and place on a window sill or somewhere else warm, greenhouse or use plastic bags. Anything to get enough high temperature to force growth. There is time, just but get those little babes as big as you can under cover before planting out.

[cornykev]

I've just come back from the lottie and they seemed to have perked up in the last few days.  ;D ;D ;D

[Flunky]

Ooooooohhhhhh........thats ok then !!!!!(!) LOL LOL LOL.  ;D

going to follow a couple of these ideas. I have 5 packs on order (I really want that corn) there only 84p so went mad. Thinking if only a small number grow I am in the kernals. If I have too much... well..... give it to all in sundry.


Many thanks to all.

F.

[northener]

May the corn be with you, Old drainpiping make good wind protection ring things.

[Flunky]

Downpipe ?

[northener]

if you like, 3 or 4 inch diameter chop into 8 inch lengths, force 4" in ground and pop your seedling or seed into the 4 " bit above

[Amazin]

I have 5 packs on order (I really want that corn)

What varieties are you trying Flunky?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I plant my corn rather deep to give it a good grip and minimise wind rock.