Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

On Apr 30, 4:21*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm..
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden..
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Sweetcorn
Probably too cold/waterlogged., hence rot /fungus.
Needs around 20degC & good drainage.
I have just planted mine in propagator. (Set @ 20C)

On Apr 30, 4:21*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm..
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden..
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Allotment probably needs double digging where water is standing.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:58:42 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Apr 30, 4:21*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Allotment probably needs double digging where water is standing.


Ours has a thick layer of clay under it...
Someone brave dug a big hole and then tried digging through the clay.
He gave up. Needs a digger to have a go ... or drains putting in.
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Apr 30, 4:21 pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly
keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Sweetcorn
Probably too cold/waterlogged., hence rot /fungus.
Needs around 20degC & good drainage.
I have just planted mine in propagator. (Set @ 20C)

Thanks. Yes there is fungus on the surface of the compost. Try again !
Pete C

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Apr 30, 4:21 pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly
keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Allotment probably needs double digging where water is standing.

Like Mogga has said. Heavy clay. Site is at the bottom of a hill. It isn't
'standing' rain water but the water table rising above the surface. Even in
the summer, if you dig down a foot or so, there is the water.
Pete C

"mogga" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:58:42 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Apr 30, 4:21 pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do
atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded
garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a
lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly
keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Allotment probably needs double digging where water is standing.


Ours has a thick layer of clay under it...
Someone brave dug a big hole and then tried digging through the clay.
He gave up. Needs a digger to have a go ... or drains putting in.

Same here, very heavy clay. A foot down never dry.
Pete C

In article ,
Pete C wrote:

Like Mogga has said. Heavy clay. Site is at the bottom of a hill. It isn't
'standing' rain water but the water table rising above the surface. Even in
the summer, if you dig down a foot or so, there is the water.

NOT ideal sweetcorn soil, I am afraid. I germinate mine on paper
and sow into paper pots in 50/50 soil and garden compost, but my
soil is 60% sand and only 22% clay. I don't know the soils where
sweetcorn comes from, but I am pretty sure they are well-drained.
It's also fairly resistant to a shortage of water, which generally
goes with a dislike of waterlogging.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote in message ...
In article ,
Pete C wrote:

Like Mogga has said. Heavy clay. Site is at the bottom of a hill. It isn't
'standing' rain water but the water table rising above the surface. Even
in
the summer, if you dig down a foot or so, there is the water.

NOT ideal sweetcorn soil, I am afraid. I germinate mine on paper
and sow into paper pots in 50/50 soil and garden compost, but my
soil is 60% sand and only 22% clay. I don't know the soils where
sweetcorn comes from, but I am pretty sure they are well-drained.
It's also fairly resistant to a shortage of water, which generally
goes with a dislike of waterlogging.

also pregerminate and sow either in modules or fibre pots. I plant out at
about 6" and cover with a pop bottle. Always a good crop. As husks form I
water with Tomorite.
Pete C

On Apr 30, 8:26*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...
On Apr 30, 4:21 pm, "Pete C" wrote:

Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly
keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Sweetcorn
Probably too cold/waterlogged., hence rot /fungus.
Needs around 20degC & good drainage.
I have just planted mine in propagator. (Set @ 20C)

Thanks. Yes there is fungus on the surface of the compost. Try again !
Pete C

Spray surface of compost with fungicide. Copper based if you can get
it. This helps with all seedlings ,esp. under glass.
You can put glass/clingfim on seed trays to retain moisture if sprayed
with the fungicide but dodgy without spraying.

On Apr 30, 8:32*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

...





On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:58:42 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Apr 30, 4:21 pm, "Pete C" wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do
atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded
garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a
lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly
keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?
Pete C

Allotment probably needs double digging where water is standing.

Ours has a thick layer of clay under it...
Someone brave dug a big hole and then tried digging through the clay.
He gave up. Needs a digger to have a go ... or drains putting in.

Same here, very heavy clay. A foot down never dry.
Pete C- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I am on a hillside but the soil was clay.
I got in 10 tons of sharp sand and dug it in. Took a long time to get
it thoroughly mixed but that and double digging totally cured the
problem, even in the weather we're having now.

On Apr 30, 9:33*pm, "Pete C" wrote:
wrote in ....
In article ,
Pete C wrote:

Like Mogga has said. Heavy clay. Site is at the bottom of a hill. It isn't
'standing' rain water but the water table rising above the surface. Even
in
the summer, if you dig down a foot or so, there is the water.

NOT ideal sweetcorn soil, I am afraid. *I germinate mine on paper
and sow into paper pots in 50/50 soil and garden compost, but my
soil is 60% sand and only 22% clay. *I don't know the soils where
sweetcorn comes from, but I am pretty sure they are well-drained.
It's also fairly resistant to a shortage of water, which generally
goes with a dislike of waterlogging.

*also pregerminate and sow either in modules or fibre pots. I plant out at
about 6" and cover with a pop bottle. Always a good crop. As husks form I
water with Tomorite.
Pete C

We have a gadget makes pots from newspapers. I plant seed in these &
put in heated propagator. Takes about 10 days to appear.
We do really well with sweet corn (grows to about 8ft high) and it can
be frozen.

I notice it grows really fast when the weather warms up. Struggles in
cooler weather.

I chuck a load of compost round it when it's about three feet high.
Helps keep the weeds down too.

Pete C wrote:
Allotment has standing water and weeds are rampant. Not much I can do atm.
My plastic greenhouse (Wilco) tok a buffering, even in my secluded garden.
So much so, all my trays of seedlings were thrown to the floor. Lost a lot
of peas and toms. Most annoying, my sweetcorn (indoors) all suddenly keeled
over and died. Tips of leaves brown, base of stems transparent. Too
much/little water? Thoughts?

Oh no, poor sweetcorns! Nick went a bit mad with them this year, and we have 200 in the window at the moment. I need to go rotate the root trainers, as they're all stretching for the light. There have been a couple of cold nights, so perhaps your window is a bit cold?

Pete C wrote:
also pregerminate and sow either in modules or fibre pots. I plant out at
about 6" and cover with a pop bottle. Always a good crop. As husks form I
water with Tomorite.

I'm surprised you bother pregerminating. We've had close to 100% germination rate from commercial seed (not from 'kept' seed, unfortunately - but i think that is more to do with my storage technique than the seed being a problem, as we've had them germinate by accident in the past)

harry wrote:
We have a gadget makes pots from newspapers. I plant seed in these &
put in heated propagator. Takes about 10 days to appear.

Paper potter! (I discovered they do them in 2 different sizes now) I've not used ours this year as they've stopped putting 3 free papers through the door each week now. :-( I should remember to pick up a Standard on the train tomorrow.

They are a great idea, but I found they're a bit unforgiving to the lazy when I did my beans in them last year. I left them sitting in the bottom of the greenhouse and didn't keep an eye on them and I ended up with a huge sodden lump of mouldy yuck (and some bean plants, which kept going, so all not lost, I guess).