Transplanting Sweet Corn

Ozark · June 4, 2016

I know sweet corn can be difficult to transplant, but I'm going to try it this weekend.

On May 27 I planted 8 rows of Luscious F1, a 75-day Se sugar enhanced hybrid. My seed was a year old and it may have been stored too warm. Also, we've had a bunch of rain every day since I planted the corn. Whatever caused it, I got only about 40% germination.

My garden is a mudhole but the rainy days are ending. I think conditions are right to try and transplant the 1" corn seedlings I have, spacing them 9" apart in only three of the rows. Then I intend to re-plant the remaining five rows with Incredible F1, which is also a Se sugar enhanced hybrid but it's an 85-day corn. I'll plant Incredible 12" apart, as it grows bigger stalks. The two harvests should come about 18 days apart, so the two varieties shouldn't cross, and since they're both Se it probably wouldn't matter if they did.

I don't know how deep the tap root goes on 1" corn seedlings, but my idea is to move a big, deep shovel of muddy dirt with each plant, even taking care to keep them turned in the same direction they were in relation to the world. What do you think? Have you ever tried anything like this before with corn? Did it work?

June 4, 2016	#1
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	Transplanting Sweet Corn I know sweet corn can be difficult to transplant, but I'm going to try it this weekend. On May 27 I planted 8 rows of Luscious F1, a 75-day Se sugar enhanced hybrid. My seed was a year old and it may have been stored too warm. Also, we've had a bunch of rain every day since I planted the corn. Whatever caused it, I got only about 40% germination. My garden is a mudhole but the rainy days are ending. I think conditions are right to try and transplant the 1" corn seedlings I have, spacing them 9" apart in only three of the rows. Then I intend to re-plant the remaining five rows with Incredible F1, which is also a Se sugar enhanced hybrid but it's an 85-day corn. I'll plant Incredible 12" apart, as it grows bigger stalks. The two harvests should come about 18 days apart, so the two varieties shouldn't cross, and since they're both Se it probably wouldn't matter if they did. I don't know how deep the tap root goes on 1" corn seedlings, but my idea is to move a big, deep shovel of muddy dirt with each plant, even taking care to keep them turned in the same direction they were in relation to the world. What do you think? Have you ever tried anything like this before with corn? Did it work?