Allotments 4 All

3 weeks ago I planted 17 sweetcorn kernals of the variety "sweetie" from Dobies. Only 1 came up? what have I done wrong? they were all sown indiviually in modules, at the same temp? thinking of complaining to Dobies about them.

Hi, if the seeds were new, not over 2 years old then there are a couple of things.

Sweetie..aka Sweetie Pie is a supersweet variety, the seeds would have been shrunken . The supersweets need more heat than the others and they are more suceptible to rot.


y first thought would be they were too wet and the seeds rotted. Some folks soak the seed prior to planting, it is not a good idea especially with the supersweet varieties.

How small where the modules?

XX Jeannine

You've got plenty of time to replant, but put them somewhere warm. Mine go under the hot water tank.

I used the middles of toilet rolls and kitchen rolls. Guess I am going to have to buy some more , there was only 20 in the packet! any recommended varieties?

I chit mine. Tuppaware box, tepid water on kitchen roll and somewhere warm.

Sow indoors in heat, at 20 C, on top of the compost to prevent the seed rotting, in individual cells in late April. Remember that there is no point in sowing the seed too early, or the plants will become too big before you can plant them out into their final growing positions, when danger of frost has passed. Move the plants to a cooler frost free location such as a cold frame to harden off before planting out in their final positions.

I soak over night in tepid water it seems to work ;D never thought to chit them like runner beans will give this a go ;)

Quote from: PeterVV on April 26, 2011, 19:42:00
I used the middles of toilet rolls and kitchen rolls. Guess I am going to have to buy some more , there was only 20 in the packet! any recommended varieties?

Hi, I had the same problem last year, I ended up emptying the loo rolls out to find the seeds, mine hadn't rotted, and with those and a new packet I chitted them on damp kitchen paper wrapped in a placcy bag. when they started to sprout I re-planted them in pots, and everything after that was fine. I've struggled in the past with keeping loo rolls either wet enough or dry enough and have given up on them. Plus after last years fun and games I now chit my sweetcorn seeds

All is not lost  :)

I planted my first lot quite a while ago, just in a seed tray and a fair % came up. However on a second planting from the same seeds none came up, the oly difference perhaps was the heat or lack of.
I planted a third and fourth lot in propogators and 100% germination.

So im guessig what I am saying is heat seems to be the key. I was using supersweet varieties too

My first batch are up and going in the ground later this week (we're due a cold night tomorrow but ater that I can't wait and it looks like it'll be warm enough.... I did mine (and will do the second batch) in toilet-roll inners shoved into 24-drop moduoles to create a poor mans root-trainer.....

chrisc

I put mine on a sunny window sill and they popped up very quickly.  Now ready to go outside under bottle cloches which ai remove when the plant comes out the top.

I think you sowed them too early. I sow mine 4 weeks before I plant them out. I sow end April/beginning of May to plant out end May/beginning June.

Last year it was very cold at this time and most of mine rotted off. They do need a lot of warmth.

This year I've not even sown them yet so far. Will in the next week or so.

Mine will be going in next week, once the squashes, which I planted today, are up. Then they can go to the allotment and leave some windowsill space for corn!

I chit all the squash family, sweetcorn and beans as I seem to have problems with rotting otherwise.
I use damp kitchen roll in a shallow clean container in the house. This solves problems with mice which seem to eat the above in the greenhouse and OH doesn't grumble about plant pots in the house this way, then just pot on as they sprout :)

i never sow my seeds until the first of may, i've been caught out before starting them to early.

I sow in stages,i sowed a packet a few weeks back in modules,not all germinated but not a disaster either

sowed the 2nd packet today,so i know il have enough to plant out.

i used to sow them in peat pots and plant out but modules work just fine

I sent an e-mail and along with the usual "we take care etc, etc" they said they were going to send me another packet !!, it pays to complain!!! this time I will try chitting them first...will let you know how I get on..........

Supersweet and tendersweet varieties need higher temperatures to germinate than ordinary varieties.

THey deffo need the temperature.... I give them warmest propagator (a twin-tray 40W Jemp) and run it flat out.... they're normally up in a week or they ain't coming....

I had the same problem last year, my first sowing rotted off. The second were poor germination rates too..... This year a bird or maybe a mouse has been in my greenhouse and eaten every last sowed sweetcorn seed and I sowed 50 of them! The little critter had also eaten some of my lettuce and brassicas! I've been and bought some seedlings of sweetcorn today it seemed like the only way I would have corn. I'm keeping them at home until they get nearly ready for planting out. I suspect the robin that has been nesting at the allotment as the culprit, he has been hanging round the greenhouse even when we were close by  ???