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james_gtt

growing corn in containers

james_gtt
22 years ago

any thoughts on growing corn in containers out there?i have tried hooker's sweet corn.that did as it was supposed to:small ears, small plants two to three ears per plant.any advice on growing something a bit more spectacular?i would like to know if anyone knows of a variety that does ok in ctrs but can produce big ears-and if there are any techniques that can be recommended.

Comments (12)

  • Rama
    22 years ago

    Hi James,
    I've read an article about growing corn in a pot. It had a pic -that looked hot & exotic on the patio. Kinda happy surprising to see a ordinal corn plant in a patio pot, which becomes extraordinal. I don't know much about corn species, though. It looked like 5-6ft corn in a 10" standard pot. Good luck! (sorry, I can't recall the magazine name)

  • freespiritjed_juno_com
    22 years ago

    I tried this mulch last year and it worked great. Has anyone else?

  • armadillo
    22 years ago

    I grew corn in a 20 liter pot last year and it did really well. I used off the rack seeds from the hardware store so I don't know the exact variety.

    Container corn requires LOTS of fertilizer and water but other than that it seems to be quite easy.

    There was a thread on this subject in the container gardening forum you may want to check out.

    Armadillo

  • ryanzone7
    22 years ago

    I m trying this in two deep welled kiddie carts.
    Each cart holds about 3 cu ft.
    It all leads back to compost.

  • Sheila7863
    21 years ago

    I had a few corn seeds leftover last year and planted them in containers with other flowers on my deck. They didn't produce ears but the plants looked really cool. I guess this year I'll take William's idea and pollinate them myself. Since I live in Nebraska, corn is everywhere in our town and I thought I'd make a statement by planting some here and there in my gardens and on my deck! Yeah, the neighbors DO think I'm nuts... the birds and squirrels loved it tho!

  • PtBetsie
    21 years ago

    I started corn in an unused garden cart as a joke but am finding it is working quite well. At night, I roll my cart out of harms way (raccoons) I have about sixteen plants in 4 ft cart.

  • Violet_Z6
    21 years ago

    On plastic mulch:


    "Plasticulture is the study of the use of plastics in agriculture. Covering mulch with wide strips of black plastic to raise soil temperature and inhibit weed growth is a widely accepted practiceÃAmericans use about 200 million pounds of plastic mulch each year. Recent studies suggest that, although black plastic mulch provides marked benefits, other colors may offer even greater yields. Professor Orzolek has shown that most plants have a particular, and sometimes peculiar, color preference: ÃTomatoes are partial to red, potatoes favor pale blue or white, and turnips donÃt think orange is too bad.Ã Internal pigments, called phytochromes, serve as chemical Ãeyes.Ã By reacting to different spectra of light, they signal the plant how best to use its resources. Some colors promote root growth, and others can increase fruit and vegetable yields by as much as 30 percent. The Center for Plasticulture is at the very forefront of colored-mulch research, but a few of the lessons theyÃve learned can even be applied to a small backyard garden. Some of the colors are still in experimental trials, but rolls of red polyethylene mulch covering, suitable for tomatoes and strawberries, are available from major garden-supply companies."

    American Society for Plasticulture


  • mikie_gw
    21 years ago

    In my daughters pre-kindergarten class
    each child grew a single corn kernel in a styrofoam cup.

    Of course, we had to plant it a few weeks later in the garden.

    Think that was the year her whole class, a few chauffeur moms and the teachers all decided to visit her home to see her daddy's vegi garden & her own mom couldn't show so dad ended up hosting about two dozen rug rats for a fresh vegi lunch outing. Lot's of Don't Do's & I needs, & No I don't have's - No Mario's Bleu Cheese dressing either.

    Visiting classmate moms sure are nosy & offer absolutely no mom type help.

  • kmccandless25_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    I started five white corn plants from seeds this year, each in a 5 gallon bucket. I am a beginning container gardner and absolutely shocked how well they are doing. The plants are truly beautiful, and like said before exotic looking ( I live in Kentucky, no palms here). Now if they produce corn we will have to see!

  • Rileys
    12 years ago

    We have never grown corn in containers but we have grown plenty of other stuff. Last year we had around 70 edible plants in front of our apartment and two years before that we had a huge deck garden. We have found that with consistant fertilization from seedlings till you no longer want your plants to live or frost gets them makes a HUGE difference. And soil, we like to make our own, makes a big difference as well, sorry can not remember off hand the recipe. Also the type of container you use makes a huge difference. We struggled with plastic containers for years but now we use Smart Pots, boy do these things make container gardening easier.
    While doing research for our farm job we stumbled acrossed a couple flashier varieties, some may coin as exotic, but we have never tried them and we are not sure if they even taste good but here they are:

    Martian Jewels corn from SOC- white kernals,deep purple cob, and mostly purple husks

    Japonica from SSE- variegated leaves striped with green, white, yellow, and pink, dark purple tassels
    Blue jade from SSE- up to 3' tall plants bear 3-6 ears that are steel blue

  • sweet_carol_126
    12 years ago

    I have talked to a woman who plants by the "three sisters" way in a container by planting corn first, then squash or pumpkin to grow at the base to keep the soil cooler and beans to climb up the stalk of corn. She says it has worked well. She did indicate that she takes a brush to pollinate her plants. She does sprouting and eats from her own garden and has fresh raw milk. She must have chickens as well. You can probably check on three sisters in wickipedia to find out more. I think she has them in a half of a barrell. She uses all organic fertilizers without animal additives. I know for other plants she uses liquid kelp. She has 3 kinds of corn: popcorn, and a type of Japanese corn and another type of corn.

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