Kitchen Garden Forum

I bought a tray of Garden Centre sweetcorn because mine hasn't germinated. In each cell there were two seedlings growing so close together that they can't be separated as their roots are all entangled. I've read that sweetcorn doesn't like its roots disturbed so have planted each cell as one item but am wondering whether I've done the right thing. (Should have asked this question before planting them, shouldn't I?) If they should have been planted singly would it be better to eliminate one seedling at each location or dig them up and try to separate them?

Primrose wrote:I've planted each cell as one item but am wondering whether I've done the right thing.

Out of interest, where have you planted them Primrose? Into bigger pots, polytunnel etc?

Colin - have planted them in a small block out in my vegetable patch.

I would be interested to know what to do with sweetcorn seedlings as I too have grown some. Didnt think they would all germinate but they have. Ours is a very windy site and I wondered if they were better in the polytunnel and if so how close can I plant them.

I've planted mine about 10 inches apart which is probably a little too close but I'm short of space. The ground has been reasonably well manured so I'm hoping this will compensate.

Hi Primrose,
I always have followed the spacing advice for sweetcorn, and they always look a little lost! So, this year I am going to plant them much closer together, and put a couple of butternut squashes around them too. If you see the commercially grown stuff, it is always crammed right in close together, and looks much better than anything I've grown! I like to think they are looking after one another!!

Hi Retropants,
If you are referring to Maize grow agriculturally then what you say is quite true about the spacing but that Maize is grown for Silage and not for Cobs. It is true that on the outside of the crop you will see several cobs growing but they are really only incidental and the crop is not grown for them.
Sweetcorn should be spaced at 18" in both directions.
JB.

Oh, OK, I did not know this, but I don't know which these were. The crops I am referring to were growing in Jersey, fields of them, and yes, there were cobs on the ones you could see. Would these be for maize then JB?

Hi Retropants,
I am not familiar with farming practice in Jersey and I couldn't possibly say what they were for.
With Fodder Maize there seems to be cobs on the margin of the crop but if you were to walk through the crop there are very few cobs in the interior.
I think that because the male flower is at the top I feel that the pollen does not get down into the crop the same and this is why 18" is the recognized planting distance for Sweetcorn to allow a good airflow which carries the pollen to those little old lady cobs.
JB.

Are you all of the opinion that now is a good time to be planting sweetcorn outside?

Being a laggard, I haven't even started sowing mine yet