Sweetcorn

**Geordie** · 22-05-2006, 05:38 AM

I grow sweetcorn in 2 batches and get about 70% success

**Alice** · 22-05-2006, 01:02 PM

Thanks Geordie, might be tempted to give it a try.

**Strepsy** · 22-05-2006, 04:36 PM

Despite my best efforts I have only 3 baby sweetcorn plants. Tried planting deep, shallow, on their side, flat, tried everything but only 3 popped up. Is it worth growing the 3 or should I relent and buy more to plant with them? Fearing it a bit late to buy another packet to plant as I just keep thinking they have to be 'knee-high by the 4th of July'. lol. No idea if that's true or not?

**eskymo** · 22-05-2006, 05:23 PM

I tried sweetcorn last year and planted it out too late so it never had the chance to mature...but I got a load of cobs but none were edible.

So I thought I would try again this year but not had much luck with germination - trying a baby variety from Kings Seeds and only four have germinated out of 20...so I've planted them out anyway with my dwarf french beans and put a cloche over them and will just wait to see if anything comes of it.

**Alice** · 22-05-2006, 10:17 PM

I'll wait and see how you guys get on befoe I decide if I should try next year, so let's know how you get on

**Patonnet74** · 23-05-2006, 08:43 AM

Hi all,

This is my first year at attempting growing veg, I've started sweetcorn germinating on the windowsill and most did. They're now in the greenhouse and must be about 8 inches tall. I plan to harden them off and plant them out at the end of May and see what happens. All I'll need is a good Scottish summer hopefully!

**Alice** · 23-05-2006, 01:49 PM

Welcome to vine Pattonnet and hope you get that good Scottish summer. It's certainly slow in geting started this year as we're well short of average May day time temperatures. Let's know how the sweetcorn goes.

**Clarea1** · 23-05-2006, 08:42 PM

Mine is planted out (first lot) but isn't growing very fast unlike everything else. I've not grown it before so not really sure what to expect. My neighbour grew it last year and it was delicious. Maybe I should have asked him which variety he used?

**JennieAtkinson** · 23-05-2006, 08:57 PM

I would love to have a go at growing sweetcorn, but it would have to be in the polytunnel. I can't imagine it doing well outside here at all. Has anyone grown it in a polytunnel? I know it needs the wind to pollinate, would I have to waft it around a bit or brush the flowers? It gets quite windy by the door but there might be too cold a draught.

I was also worried that it would take up too much space - say 9 plants planted in a block - but I now understand you can plant squash or courgettes underneath.

Be interesting to hear how you all get on.

**Alice** · 23-05-2006, 09:47 PM

Jennie, don't want to be a party pooper but really don't think there is any way you can grow sweetcorn on Shetland. Official records say as far north as Yorkshire so I just wondered if there was any chance for me as only a few hundred miles further north. But on Shetland, with the difference in temperatures , I would think impossible.

Never been to Shetland but my husband has been to Skerries (Sorry if that's not how you spell that) to visit a friend from university who served as the minister there. My only connection is I spent my student days whooping it up to Ali Bain (before his present fame ) paid for by ........ well was never sure who paid for it. Come from Argyll myself - a part that was pretty remote in those days. How did I get in to all this. Sorry folks.

**JennieAtkinson** · 24-05-2006, 08:31 PM

Oh Alice - is there counselling on this site!

Skerries is a very far flung island to visit, very nice though and the people so friendly. We don't see much of Aly Bain in Shetland these days, he always seems to be on the TV! Must admit I've never been to Argyll either.

**Alice** · 24-05-2006, 10:18 PM

No but there should be. Maybe we could all use some. Have a degree in psychology myself (maybe that explains everyhing) but volunteering for nothing. Think we should just all stick to happy gardening.

**lyndap** · 25-05-2006, 05:53 PM

I germinate my sweetcorn in toiletrolls filled with damp compost.Just press the sweetcorn seed down so you can just see the top poking above the soil,and keep damp. Put a propogator lid or clear polothene over until germinated (only took 3 days for 100% germination last year

) This year used rootrainers and only got about 80% germination

The problem I've got is been to wet to plant out, and they12in to tip of longest leaves, so hope I don't loose them all

Hope this helps with germination probs.If you get some started this week(depending on type,)and plant as above,you could still get a crop

**George Gray** · 26-05-2006, 08:53 PM

Sweetcorn

I've been succesful at growing sweetcorn (admittedly in the sub tropical paradise that is Birmingham) but have by trial and error found out a few things
1 You need fresh seed - only one or two years old at most
2 They tend to rot when germinating so water them sparingly
3 They hate root distirbance so either grow them in situ (which never seems to work for me!) or grow them in root trainers, paper pots or something like that so you can pop them in the ground so the little beggars don't know the've moved house!
The one thing I would like to find out is how you get them to mature at different times. We had a glut of sweetcorn last year in mid August but within a week they were all hard as a rock!

By the way the idea of a sub tropical Birmingham isn't as daft as it seems. Last year we had parakeets nesting on my allotment. They ate all of one of the plotholders gooseberries!

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