sickly sweetcorn

My sweetcorn is`nt growing.It hasn`t budged for ages.I know i put them out too soon and the weather has knocked them right back.I`m told i`ll be lucky if they survive.Does anyone know of anything to give them a boost?I gave them tomato liquid feed on sunday cos that`s all i had.They have had blood fish and bone previously.

 

Hi elainefiz try soaking nettles in water for a week or so, dilute it to it looks like weak tea and give them a good soak, its worth a try. I put my outdoor tomatoes out to soon and they looked awful for a couple of weeks. I gave them some of the nettle water and it has really helped them!

 

Hi elainefix,apart from perhaps needing the feed they look fine to me.Mine are nowhere near as good as yours.It could be the fact thaqt the weather turned colder again that has slowed down the growth.They need lots of sunshine to help them get going as they normally grow in hot countries.I read somewhere that they need at least 80 days of continuous sunshine to get a decent crop....

The only problem I can see with yours is that thye are a wee bit too far apart.They need to be a bit closer for the pollination of the tassels.When you see the tassels with the pollen on them at the top it is a good idea to go along the rows and shake each plant gently.This will cause the pollen to fall onto the tassels and will aid fertilisation...

In the American films and indeed in English fields that grow SweetCorn they are sown nearly on top of each other...

Don't forget also to give them lots of water,especially when it is dry weather....

Good Luck

 

Elane, they look Ok but maybe they should have been hardened off a bit longer before planting out.
I think hardening off is greatly underestimated, and should take time.
Anyway, with a bit of warmth they should take off, a high nitrogen feed at this stage would be best I think, as suggested by Kevin, but really until they start to move any fertilliser is wasted.

 

Thank`s Kevin, Kandy and pete.
I will try with the nettles ( there`s plenty of them)
I did the same thing last yr with regards to spacing Kandy.I really thought i`d put them closer this yr.
Pete, you are exactly right.I started them off (far too early)in the cold frame, then had to shift them all into the gh as there were being eaten by slugs.I didn`t harden them off and i`ve paid for it.