How to grow corn on a balcony

I never thought it was anything out of the ordinary, put seedlings in a pot and voila - corn! Though from everyone's encounraging and heartwarming reactions to last Monday's harvest post I guess it isn't the oft done thing. I do recall, when first deciding to 'corn-pot' that I googled around and only found a little info on the subject. One person grew it in a converted bathtub, and another in a big container, so I knew size mattered. Other than that I just stumbled in and hope for the best. After two seasons and a few good crops a few failed crops I am beginning to get a handle on this corn growing thingo. So here are a few tips, pointers and other things I've worked out about growing corn on your balcony. (I do note I blogged about this ages ago, but the post wasn't very informative, though it does contain a tonne of great pics and shows just how far I have come.)

1. Size does matter

Corn needs good soil, and lots of it, so you need something large enough to grow it in. The bigger the better, but given this is a balcony you also need to consider weight. The bathtub idea, while romantic when considering the claw footed beauties I'd seen in home magazine pictures of million dollar bathrooms weren't going to cut it here. Not even your standard bath, simply because of the weight. The solution ... polystyrene boxes. And the best thing was they were free! Lots of people grow in these things, and a regular one could fit about 5-6 corn stalks. That wasn't big enough for me, and I found they dried out pretty quickly so I put two and two together, and when I say that I mean I put two polystyrne boxes together (with their middles cut out) and made myself a megapot. Now this held even more corn and gave it enough nutrients to survive.

This is megapot above, when filled with this winter season's crops -broccoli, kale, lettuce and carrots.

2. Potting Mix

Same as I say for tomatoes, and for any vegetables, use the best potting mix you can afford/make. Corn seems to like to be fed, so do it.

3. Hand pollinate

Not with a toothbrush like you do tomatoes, (wierded out by that statement, then visit this blog post to get an understanding) but with the wind. The pollen from the tassels or corn flower (the bit that comes out of the top and has flowering sorts of things on it) needs to rendezvous with the silks (the lady bits) on the top of the little itty bitty corn (and yes the corn inside there pretty much is baby corn, give or take a few days.) Still confused, see below, the bits in exhibit A (left, flowers/tassels) need to meet the bits of exhibit B (right, silks).

 You need to do two things to help this along, and one is not to play Barry White on the balcony and leave glasses of wine lying around to set the mood. What you do need to do is to plant the corn in clumps so it has buddies nearby (another reason why megapot is the best) and then shake it a little when the flowers and silks are visible. Sometimes the tassels/flowers appear a lot earlier than the silks, just hang tight, and usually things work out. If not (which has happened) it could be because the temperatures are wrong for corn and unfortunately there isn't much you can do short of hoping someone else has a corn crop on the balcony next to you.

Each silk that is pollinated is a kernel so you want to make sure you  get that pollen where it is needed. If not you might end up with a sad looking corn like this:

or worse, you might end up with no corn at all. (the pot pictured well below with the 3 sisters technique is an example of weather causing odd growth, it sometimes happens, and you just have to go with it.)

4. When do I pick it?

Once they're pollinated they'll grow and fill out. You will see this happened over the next week or two until they look pretty big and juicy. The silks will brown off and you may even see kernels sticking out the top of it. That's when you know they are ripe. They'll also stick out at a greater angle than before, even up to 90 degrees, (see maths does come in handy in real life, thanks Mrs Fleet and Mr Kennelly for giving me the mathemetastical grounding to work out the ripeness of corn!) The corn below is almost right, it is starting to move away from the stalkm but needs to get a little fatter.

Once ripe just rip it off the stalk, or twist if you feel like being delicate. You can eat it without cooking if it is this fresh. It is great in salads or just as is. If it is a little old or mealy then cook it, just remember to remove the husk before serving.

5. Other little tidbits.

Try the 3 sisters technique ina really large pot (I did.) It is corn and beans and squash/pumpkin. In the first three sisters pot the corn went really well, the beans were tasty but the pumpkin died. I might try this experiment again next summer. Below is the only picture I have of of the second 3 sisters pot. The corn in this pot struggled as the weather was too hot and it got too straggly. I got a few ears of corn from this one, but not many. However, in this case, at least the zucchini thrived.

Also, corn isn't just yellow. I grew the most amazing yellow and white version last season and there are also fully white versions.

 If you want to go exotic you could grow other kinds of corn, red, black, blue, multicoloured. These versions aren't sweet and are often used dried, popped, ground or decoratively. Still they can look amazing and I am sure you could have all kinds of kitchen fun with these veggies. If anything this post proves that with the right knowledge and plannig you can grow just about anything on a balcony! Ever grown corn? Got any more suggestions? 

Lemon meet Lime

The lemon tree was one of the premier plants on the balcony - first posted about way back when. The lime tree followed after I decided to up the fruit tree content of the balcony in lieu of vegetable space (it was a slight soil saving measure that seems to have more than paid off.) After years of struggling where harvests were a meagre 1 or 2 fruits, the lemon tree has finally come into its own. Check it out in all its glory now (above and below):

I've picked a few lemons thus far, for garnishes, drinks and dessert purposes. The dessert was a slightly overcooked lemon delicious. I'm not sure if it was my oven, or the recipe (I'd vote the latter), but on my recent trip to Adelaide I gathered my Mum's amazing, handwritten recipe and will woo the man with a second attempt. But this first one at least tasted great served with blueberries!

And if you want to check out something culinary that is a little more decadent that this dessert head on over to my other blog, A teetotal 2012. It also shows my recent sewing projects including that quilt!
 
 I try and drink freshly squeezed citrus juice as much as I can in the winter. It involves freshly squeezing one or two of oranges, lemons and anything else I please that morning. It tastes delicious and helps give a good dose of vitamin C. In my 'time'-poor last few months I've barely managed this seemingly small task, but on the odd occasion I have it has been wonderful. I use it to ward away colds and other nasties in the winter. Even better with home grown lemons and limes thrown in the mix (this one had the juice of one orange also).

The lime tree itself is growing well, and I've harvested a couple for similar purposes. One even almost made its way in my superman's amazing attempt at spiced slow roasted chicken last Sunday (I'm still savouring the last few bits in sandwiches.)

Citrus trees are great plants for a balcony garden. The fruit is multipurpose and the smell of the blossom, which is there many months of the year, it phenomenal. They are heavy feeders but I just put some slow release on 4 times a year and they're happy as Larry if Larry was eating Mum's lemon delicious. No need to buy those fancy dwarfed citrus plants, they're just a waste of money. ANY citrus can be dwarfed and rootstock has little to do with it. With the right pot, soil and pruning regime any citrus can be kept at the size you want it. After 5 and a bit years in my hands (and a couple of years at its former home) the lemon is finally playing ball and the lime only took 2 and a half years to produce!!! Now that's what I'd call a winning combination.

Floral thoughts

I popped home to Adelaide last week to visit the folks. It was to make up for Easter when I went to Adelaide and spent the entire time marking assignments. This time round there was no marking to be done, although it didn't mean I was completely work free. I spent most of the time hanging out with these fellows:

And spending quality time with my Mum and Dad. To say thanks to Mum (and Dad) for taking such great care of me I have a tradition of buying some flowers, and this is what I stumbled upon this time.

I know some people think buying cut flowers is a waste, they just open and die, but I'm not just some people. I happen to love cut flowers, and feel it brings the garden indoors. Yes you can have indoor plants, but indoor plants are not without their problems. I've posted before about the flowers I cut from my balcony garden and bring inside for colour. But the rest of this post is meant as a thankyou to my delightful other half, who looked ater the balcony garden in my absence, but who recieved no such pressie! And how do I thank him? By showing the world his lovely and thoughtful nature. Here is a collection of only some of the flowers he has bought me over the last few months. They were for different reasons (e.g. I was severely overworked, I had just finished a PhD so congratulations were in order ... and just coz!)

I don't know why I don't have pics of more of them, as they were lovely. Such a thoughtful and kind man. He also brought home three seedlings on the weekend, a red kale and two varieties of peas.They went straight in the garden and should prove tasty when it comes time to harvest (look at my latest harvest here) This was after he bought this lovely fern below, which I promptly accidentally killed!

 I have never given him flowers, but I did once make him a bag. Well I make everyone bags, as they help me practice my sewing. And I guess I cook him delicious food, but I do that for myself as well as him. All these flowers and he just gets one bag, think I better lift my game :)

Harvest Monday

What better than to return to writing with a Harvest Monday post! It won't be a long one, if only because this stupid new blogger platform has made it extra hard to post, oh fun! So many harvests have been missed while I took a break from the blog (due to excessive work) but it doesn't mean they haven't been enjoyed. Here are some of the things I've harvested over the past few months.

There was the last tomato (above) and the final few corn. All delicious and enjoyed with a number of meals (details to follow in a different post)

Some winter greens such as snow peas, kale, silverbeet and more

 

And the first of the citrus! A lemon and a lime! (all used up in this pic)

With semester drawing to a close I hope to have more time to devote to this blog and will finally attend to all the posts I promised.

the garden is growing

I'm still here, still balcony gardening and plotting the posts for when time permits. Between work, work, work and well work (and interviews, paper writing and giving, sewing mothers day pressies and sleep) I've had no time to blog.

Also blogger is a pain with our stupid uni gmail accounts. You can mark my decline in writing from the date these were introduced because no matter what settings I tinker with I cannot have both accounts open! It's just a fact of gmail, blogger and the way the cookie crumbles.

But hold tight, semester is drawing to a close and I'll be back to tell you all more of the balcony garden's exploits including:

Snow peas
Lots of lemons
Limes!!!
Camelias

Mum's a Garden Smarty

Another reason to love my Mum - she identified the mystery flower! It is ... a balsam. She also informs me they are hardy, flower for ages, and are really hard to find in Adelaide so lucky me to have about six of these spring up from the seed mix in the balcony garden! Here are some more pics to tell her thanks.

Harvest Monday (1 day late)

Harvest Monday on a Tuesday and with no new pictures on my camera it makes me think I had no harvest. But just because I forget to photograph it doesn't mean it isn't there. The delicious tomato and cheese toasted sandwiches my bf and I had for dinner last night were nuanced by the basil from the garden.

And a ripe verison if this beauty - a black russian tomato. Despite nearly succumbing entirely to the wilt that takes over my tomatoes, which you can clearly see in the picture below, this guy survived a prune, regrew and gave me 5 more tomatoes. The wilt comes on early, so can't just be due to old age, and it affects other gardens locally. Definitely something to investigate - any suggestions intrepid gardeners of the world?

We've also been enjoying lettuce in our salads. Indeed the balcony garden grows so much lettuce that I can take it in salads that I bring to friends' BBQs and use it to feed 15 people! This picture is just one of the pick-and-come-again lettuces I grow in the garden. There are about 6 more of these scattered throughout.

Future harvests are poorly timed - I am off to Adelaide to visit family for Easter so I might not be able to enjoy the corn and snowpeas which are ripening as I type. Maybe I could have a cob of corn tonight with one or two snowpeas. Then again, they won't go to waste, they'll just be enjoyed by the housesitter.

If you are thinking, darn that TIBG is getting lazy, I'm not, it is just I've been a little preoccupied as this post shows.

Other harvests can be found over at Daphne's Dandelions. She has some delicious looking spinach ...

400 posts and other milestones

This is my 400th post. Well ok it's the 401st but maths has never been my strong point so I'll celebrate it as if it is the rounder, former number. Besides, I was a little preoccupied when I hit the 400th posts because ...

... it is also the week for milestones. In case you missed it on my other blog, I passed my PhD!!!!!!!!! It even comes in multiple colours (well black for the library anyway.)

After 5 years of slogging it out, countless memoirs keeping me awake at night, far too many reading-about-war-related nightmares, treading the carpet bare in the 942.08 section of the library and venturing to conferences a plenty I'm now one graduation ceremony away from being Dr Totally Inept Balcony Gardener.

Sew, sew vs Sew Amazing

I mentioned in a previous post that I've taken up sewing. Aided by the awesome sewing machine my parents furnished me with over Christmas, I began teaching myself. I'm not very good and it is currently just a bit of fun. A bag here, and apron there, and even a bit of quilting. Presents for everyone! You can see the first few items over on my other blog, A Teetotal 2012. I am a bit hopeless at sewing things in a straight line, the quilting, in particular, is a dog's breakfast. But I am getting better and most importantly I am having fun. Don't worry, the balcony garden isn't ignored, it just gets to share its time with the sewing (and cooking, and working, and occasional blogging.)

But if you want to see some lovely baby quilts, done by a friend who started off by making one for her own daughter and enjoyed it so much she went into business, then head over to Tiny Tots Quilts. I love her stuff, it is simply beautiful and fun and full of skillyfully pieced amazing fabrics. If you are on facebook then head over via the link to check out her stuff. Here is a glimpse of some of the quilt patterns on offer:

You can view the quilts without being on facebook, but if you want to see more, or order one for a tiny tot in your life then you would have to get on facebook.

What's me Flower?

A change took place slowly in the balcony garden, I embraced flowers. Sure there was always the hibiscus and the two abutilons, and all the veggie flowers, but they have never featured very heavily on my planting agenda. Then slowly but surely more little floral numbers began to populate the garden. There were the two new fuschias (though the white and purple one I've blogged about before). The frilly pink and purple one is delightful, while the purple and white one seems pinker in some lights.

The random rockery mix which produced these flowers (I can name all of them except the pink one, any help?)

The portulaca kept its centre position on the table. But it was joined for a while by a gazania.

This plant which the lovely fellow gardener L gave me finally decided to flower (it's been a while coming, but what the heck is it?)

Even two of the mints joined in! The bees love the berry and cream mint in particular.

I've always had a few floral additions to the garden before but it has never been this crowded or free-ranging. Any ideas on what my mystery plants are?

Oh and if you want to see some other florals - check out my poor sewing attempts on my other blog, A Teetoal 2012 (it's what I do when I'm not drinkin')