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  • From: pam AT twinoaks.org
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re:Transplanting sweet corn
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 13:57:57 -0400

Some weeks ago Bill Shoemaker responded to my
suggestion of growing sweet corn transplants in
floating Speedling flats. My belated reply follows this
snip from his message:
> I'm amazed at how well the float system of transplant production has
> turned out. I'm curious about your experience with sweet corn
> transplants. How old are the transplants when they are ready for
> transplanting? And how old can you let them get in the tray before
> they become difficult to transplant well? Have you tried any of the
> more weak seed types, like Mirai? Do you use a mechanical transplanter
> or do you plant by hand? They make tremendous corn for eating but are
> difficult to establish by seeding in the field, and are pretty
> expensive seed to buy.
My ideal is to grow the transplants for about two
weeks only. Then they are about 2 inches tall. This
year, due to wet weather, I will be experimenting with
older transplants!! I'll try to remember to let you know
how they do. I have only tried early types - usually as
an "insurance" to fill gaps in a field planting. We
tranplant by hand.
I got the idea from friends in Missouri who grow
Sorghum (for syrup). They grow sorghum transplants
this way and use a mechanical transplanter. If you
leave the transplants a bit too long before planting, it's
necessary to "prep" the trays by tugging the plants
loose before loading the machine!
I did a few experiments with other vegetable
transplants, but most things do no like continuous
water. I spoke with a grower in Georgia who was using
an ebb and flow system. Recently I found a new
variation on the theme, from someone at the
University of Kentucky. It's called the "RAFT" system
and involves plant containers on wicking fabric on
floating styrofoam. I haven't tried this yet, but here's
the link:
<www.uky.edu/Agriculture/HLA/anderson/raft_veg/intr
o.htm>
Hope you find it interesting,
Pam Dawling, Twin Oaks Community, Louisa,
VA. Zone 6b





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