My cats have vandalised my sweetcorn plants :o(

[Litha]

I planted 8 sweetcorns and they were doing realy well with nice leaves on, so i re potted them on sunday into bigger pots but i came down this morning and the cats have eaten them they are only little stalk things now, will they be dead or will they be ok and grow more leafs?
iv had to take them away to the green house for their own safety. Iv sown 12 more just incase they arnt OK

[Hazel at the Hill]

Next door's cat did that to mine last year! It must taste like really sweet grass to them - I managed to spot it in time and plant the raggedy little plants out. Mind you, that was in April/May not in Feb/Mar....

[Flummery]

I think you are a little early for sweetcorn. Wait another month and a half and sow again. You'll get stronger plants too.

[Protea]

As the others have said, its too early to be sowing sweetcorn now anyway, sow again in April/May. Sweetcorn can't go outside until May anyway so try again then. By that time you'll be able to germinate them in the greenhouse away from the pesky fluffies!

[seasprout]

My cats like munching on my sweetcorn plants as well, they only do it to small plants.

I have not sown any yet as its about 6 weeks too early for me here. I find the plants do grow out of it eventually, but not having them chewed is better.

What I find works well is a decoy crop of cat grass in a pot for my cats nearer the house out of the wind, and some indoors.

Sutton's do some but its pricey for what it is, and mine prefer cat lunch grass from www.seedsofdistinction.co.uk.

Big pinch of grass seed is just as good.

[Alison]

Think I planted mine in April last year and got a good harvest of them in late August / early Sept despite the rubbish weather so you've got plenty of time to replant yet - no worries.

[bluemoon]

Hi Litha, Like you I'm in Sheffield and wouldn't even consider sowing sweetcorn until early May. That's one of the beauties of it, you can begin messing with the seeds after you've finished with all the ones which need sowing earlier. I admit I'm notorious for sowing as late as possible, but even so mid-April would be the earliest I think anyone here would consider it. The last expected frost date for this region is May 14th, anything frost tender which is showing before this date may therefore need protection at some point, and if you have loads of other plants in the same predicament it's more hassle than it's worth. Plants are dependent upon sufficient light levels as well as heat, so starting something off early isn't always going to give you a very early crop. Even if your Feb sown plants survive I doubt they'd be ready much more than a week or two before May sown ones. Personally I'd give up on the sweetcorn for at least a couple of months and use the vacated space for something which will truly benefit from an early, protected start, such as peppers or aubergines which both need a long growing season.

[zazen999]

And I thought I was early with sowing stuff!!!

[davefromthechipie]

I know its hard to hold of, I have 4mx4m spot saved for my corn its just sitting there vegless :/ Ill plant mine in greenhouse in 3 to 4 weeks .As for cats i dont have a prob myself as my collie seems to eat them But my friend uses a sonic cat repeller and that works for him . also u can buy powder to stop them

[bluemoon]

I know its hard to hold of, I have 4mx4m spot saved for my corn its just sitting there vegless :/ Ill plant mine in greenhouse in 3 to 4 weeks .As for cats i dont have a prob myself as my collie seems to eat them But my friend uses a sonic cat repeller and that works for him . also u can buy powder to stop them

Um, Dave? I think the cats belong to Litha, (look at the avatar - really gorgeous kitty) She might not take kindly to sonic repellents and chemical warfare. Tact and subtlety required here perhaps?...... Then we'll nuke em when she's not looking


(Sorry Litha, wouldn't really)

[Waffler]

Litha, your cats are gorgeous!
Too early for sweetcorn though I reckon!

[SMS6]

I have two different varieties of sweetcorn - one says plant mid spring and the other is much later - May time I think

What would be classed as mid spring? I guess it's different depending where you live, Cornwall is known for being milder most of the time

I was thinking of growing the early variety this year and planning to get them in soon

[Litha]

thankyou for all your replies

"hangs head in shame" ooooo i knew it was to early but its my very first time growing anything so i was over eager and planted bits of everything to see wot popped up and i was amazed that things did, ill put a time release lock on my seed tin

Iv got 6 cats and they all run rings round me LOL the harshest thing they get is a little squirt of water and being told that they are baddies cat grass was one of the first things i planted so they had their own stuff but it makes one of them sick so i moved it.

I didnt realise the last frost wasnt expected till middle of may, i thort it was over and done with now... complicated business the growing veggies lark LOL i just thort it was chuck em in a pot n see what popped up . . .

[bluemoon]

I didnt realise the last frost wasnt expected till middle of may,



i just thort it was chuck em in a pot n see what popped up . . .

It doesn't mean that we will have a frost this late, it's just a guideline because it is possible.


This often works.

[Litha]

iv just been thru my seed tin to check sowing dates on things and at the weekend i think ill do some sprouts ready for chrissy dinner.

WOOHOOO 17 of my 21 jalapenos are sprouted but no sign of the dorset naga's yet, all 25 of my peppers are doing well and about 22 tommy plants, the cucumbers were doing brill in cell trays then i put them in individual pots and put them in the conservatory cos of lack of side space in kitchen now they are back in the kitchen because their leaves shrivelled up

as from now ill be floating about round the forum keeping my beedy eye on you all to see what your planting when