I have read a few posts about growing sweetcorn and understand this is to avoid root disturbance.Does this mean I plant the toilet roll tube out? How do you prevent the soil washing out when awaiting the plant to be big enough to plant out?
Stand 'em in a seed tray SF
... and the roots will hold the compost in when it settles. They will look something like this:
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/DSCN0887.jpg)
When it comes to planting time, you can make holes a little deeper to support the plants. The toilet rolls will just rot away.
Make sure you plant the top of the toilet roll below the soil level or it will act as a wick and syphon water from the plant - if they are too high, you can tear the offending bit off.
I use old plastic drinks cups rom work. They near drainage holes. So I stack half a dozen (it depends on the length of your drill bit) or so upside down and drill 3 quarter inch holes in the bottoms
Phil
I use plastic cups too for sowing various seeds. To do my drainage holes I hold a screwdriver in the flame of the gas ring, and melt them through.
It's quite good fun actually. ;)
Thanks all and thanks for taking the trouble to put up a pic much appreciated.
if you are fortunate enough to have saved enough kitchen rolls, these can be stood in a large plastic pot. I have 15 in a 12" pot. Kitchen rolls have the advantage of double the root run, and less disturbance.
Oh, and by the way, the rolls (toilet variety, kitchen or otherwise) will go mouldy after a few days. Dont worry its normal, they will last intact until you plant them outside!
I've used one of those tough, reusable supermarket carrier bags for mine. Filled it up with kitchen roll middles so they kinda supported themselves really, and then planted away.... Rolled down the sides a bit, so the air can get to them, and its really easy to pick up and move if I need to :D
Now that IS classy citychick! Are they available in a variety of colours to accessorise with different gardening outfits? 8) ;D
LOL!! ;D Well, yes I guess they are, but you might have to shop around to get the perfect match ;D ;D ;D
Okay, truth is.... it was late at night, was still sowing seeds in the kitchen, had used all the trays, tubs etc I could lay my hands on, and just had the sweetcorn left to do.... I was desperate... It was just the sweetcorn that stood between me and beddie byes.... ::) ;) ;D
I keep those square plastic boxes the aerial washing liquid tabs come in - they are nice and tall enough and will hold 6 toilet or kitchen rolls - if they are not being used as cloches that is!!
i use the deeper trays you get chinese takeaways delivered in - you know, those see-through plastic microwave-able reusable pots. make excellent seed trays, propagators etc etc
I love sowing sweetcorn, as always get excellent germination!! As with Phil, I re-use plastic cups from work, and as I order them, I always go for the very tall ones!!! :D
I have just checked my sweetcorn and the roots are coming out of the bottoms of the toilet roll tubes! Should I do anything or just leave them to run rampant around the bottom of the tub the rolls are stood in or plant them straight out? Will they survive being transplanted outside as the roots will definately be disturbed when I do it?
Aaaarrgggh stress!!! ???
can you roll up some newspaper, slightly bigger than the toilet rolls and filed with more soil then slip the rolls into the top?
i wouldnt stress.
they might not like it, but they will have to rough it
that's my antra anyways - and i didnt have any problems with plants last year. if anything, they might be a little slow to take off after transplanting.
my sweetcorn is showing root, too, but.....
If you haven't already started you could always try used tea bags in the bottom of the loo rolls to use as a 'plug'!! ;D
It sounds as though you may have started them a little bit early - they shouldn't be planted out until the threat of frost has gone away, the end of May here in Hampshire.
The info maybe a little late for this year. I normally sow mine about now
Phil
Thanks for the advice guys, I will try not to stress too much! I will create little newspaper extension rolls on the bottom and then plug them with tea bags!
Phil, I only sowed them 4 days ago, they just seemed to instantly germinate and while the tops are only just starting to unfurl their first leaves there are roots everywhere! :o
I might move them to a cooler room to slow them down a bit!
Sowed mine last weekend (Hampshire as well) so aiming for mid/late-May once hardened off.
How about planting where they are to grow in the rolls/whatever and covering with plastic/polythene? Saves any further disturbance but depends on where you are I guess.
But you couldn't do that until the middle of May becuse the ground isn't usually warm enough and then they would be well behind
Phil
Interesting about the reason for using tubes i.e to avoid root disturbance because I have tried that, and pots etc. but have returned to using ordinary seed trays with 24 seeds in each tray, simply because it is easier and quicker. The roots do entangle but if you plant out when the soil is warm...and I am sure that is critically important... then there seems little check, if any to growth. I reckon the most important thing is timing and sowing the last week of April to the beginning of May is about right, as long as you can bring them on quickly, in a warmish place. The only thing to watch with seed trays is damping off. Don't keep them too moist and either rinse the seeds in weak bleach for a minute or two or use some fungicide like copper sulphate. I have and use occasionally a gadget, probably obtainable called a soil block maker. It is a steel hexagonal open ended mould 3" across with a press handle at one end; moisten soil and ram it in, then press out a block, scratch a seed hole and Bob's your uncle. Widely used at one time by professionals, perhaps it still is.
Ooh HO, I have the gadget too but haven't got around to using it! :-[
What sort of compost do you use to make soil blocks please? ::)
OLD RED INDIAN SAY "CHOOKHERMINN! THEYLIVORDYE! GOTOTHERSTUFFTODO! LIKE HUNT RABBITS OR STICK ARROWS IN COWBOYS BOTTOMS ;D