Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sping Plantings and Garden Experiments 5: Corny Corn Corn Corn



Most people I know don't think that I am crazy, they know it. Earlier in the year I announced that this Spring I was going to plant corn. Most told me I was mad, that I could not find a pot big enough or soil hardy enough or that my neighbours above would be picking the corn because it grows so tall. Some internet posts gave me hope that it could be done within my existing means, while others put me off it. So the thought drifted by and the corn plans got shelved. Come Spring planting, maybe it was madness, maybe it was intuition, but the corn planting bug came back with a vengeance.

So I went with it. Instead of planting a pumpkin and a zucchini in the two large pots, I planted one punnet of corn. Four in each pot (though one has a double head which I couldn't seperate.) They have limited space which means limited water but unlimited sunlight and some mulch for protection. I am not expecting a bumper harvest, in fact I'd be happy with one baby ear of corn between the lot of them. I will have to hand pollinate but that seems easy enough. I will have to give them lots of food on a very regular basis. Easy enough too. Maybe the only hard bit will be actually reaching the corn!!!





Is there anything you have grown that people have told you not to because it just wouldn't work? Did it work? Did it die? Am I crazy (that was the only rhetorical question in the bunch.) Will keep you all updated about my silliest balcony garden experiment yet.

7 comments:

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Find it interesting that you are trying to grow corn in pots. Our corn has just germinated here in Adelaide.

Anonymous said...

hi prue
looked at the corn planting..it should give you 2 cobs per plant and you won,t need to hand polinate if all 4 flower...just a thought..plant ing along the diagonal(fist distance between each) might be better spacing than in each corner.
catch u soon!!were back
david

thyme2garden said...

I hope your corn grows well! I haven't grown it yet, so I can't chime in with any personal experience.

This being my first year, there were a few things I did out of the "norm." I started cantaloupe from a grocery store melon seed in late June, and it actually just gave me a real melon grown in a five-gallon bucket after 3 months. I also started tomatoes and peppers from seed in July (normally you're supposed to start them indoors in February or March) and I ended up with a little harvest and they are still going, although not for long. I'm sure this wasn't the ideal condition, and I definitely ended up with less yield than if I had started earlier at the "right" time, but at least I proved to myself that it is (sometimes) possible to grow things unconventionally!

Kalena Michele said...

My corn did not do so well this past summer. We're into autumn now, so it's bye bye until next season. Good to see your posts :)

Angela said...

Excellent! I commend your adventurousness :-) I'm dying to try container corn as well, and will probably go for it next spring. I'll definitely be watching this closely for some tips!

Ivynettle said...

I think we grew corn on the balcony when I was a child - I don't remember for sure, though, I was only nine or then when we moved to a house with a garden.

Unknown said...

it is funny.but I donot think I can raise them.Women UGG