Those who live in cool locations, have space on the windowsill and want to ensure their sweetcorn harvest should prefer this plant. A lot can go wrong and how does it go right?

Preparing the sweetcorn prevents the sensitive seeds from getting frost

Advantages of advance breeding

Sweet corn is only sown outdoors from the middle/end of May. However, impatient gardeners may prefer it. The biggest advantage is that the seeds can germinate and grow at home under the watchful eye.

If sown too early outdoors, the maize can die quickly if it is exposed to frost. Pulling them forward prevents this. Furthermore, strong plants can be grown at home, they will grow faster later and as a result develop flowers and fruits faster.

Prefer at home from the end of March/beginning of April

Regardless of the variety, the sweet corn is brought forward between the end of March and the end of April. You should sow the seeds at home by the beginning of May at the latest in order to be able to release strong young plants outdoors in mid/end of May.

Sow the seeds

Before sowing, the dried seeds are presoaked in water for 8 to 10 hours. It would be ideal to put the seeds in a thermos with water at 20 °C.

After pre-soaking, it goes like this:

  • Fill at least 10 cm deep pots (forms long taproots) with seed compost
  • Sow seeds 3 to 5 cm deep
  • put 2 seeds in each place
  • Seed tips face down
  • cover with soil and moisten

If the seeds are in a warm place, they will germinate within 5 to 10 days and the first green will appear on the surface. Then they must be placed in a light location so that they do not wither.

Take the young plants outdoors

It continues as follows:

  • Plant out from mid/end of May
  • plant in blocks or at least a double row
  • Row spacing: 40 to 60 cm
  • Planting distance: 30 to 40 cm
  • loosen the soil deeply beforehand
  • choose a warm, sunny spot sheltered from the wind
  • Plant root ball deep

tips

Be careful when removing the young roots from the growing pot, they can be up to 40 cm long. Unwrap them carefully so as not to injure yourself.

Category:

Vegetable garden