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How to Grow Corn in Containers

Picture
Burpee's 'On Deck Hybrid Corn"
If you have limited gardening space you may have assumed that you didn't have enough room to grow sweet corn. You may be surprised to learn that you can grow corn in containers on the deck or along the foundation of your home.  The corn shown above is a special hybrid corn developed for containers and was introduced by Burpee Seeds. While you do not need to grow this variety, there are some things you should look for if you want to try your hand at growing corn in a container.

Choose a corn variety with a height of 4 to 5 feet.

Taller corn requires more room for the roots to grow and may not do well in containers. Shorter varieties work well because they have smaller roots systems and because they are not as top heavy. Short corn varieties are less likely to topple the container during storms or from high winds. 

Choose corn with short days to maturity.

Burpee's On Deck Hybrid Corn ripens in just 61 to 63 days. Shorter days to maturity means fewer days to care for the corn in your containers and will reward you with an early harvest.

Prepare soil for your containers.

Graden loam alone is not a good choice for containers as it tend to compact easily with repeated waterings. Make your own soil mix by combining equal parts potting soil, compost or well-rotted manure, and perlite. This makes a lightweight potting mix that promotes good drainage and provides your corn with slow-release nutrients.

Make drainage holes in the bottom of the container.

If you are using a bucket or a container that does not have drainage holes, you will need to drill holes around the outside of the container about 2 inches from the bottom to allow for water to drain through the pot when you water your container corn.

Plant 5 to 9 corn kernels per container.

Burpee recommends 9 kernels per 24 inch (diameter) pot. If you are using a smaller container or bucket you will need to plant fewer kernels. 

Place you container in full sun.

Select a location for your corn where it will receive full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. Full-day sun is even better. 

Water your container corn frequently.

Water the container until the soil is saturated and water runs freely through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Keep the soil moist (but not soggy) until your seedlings emerge in 7 to 10 days.

Water your container corn whenever the soil dries an inch or two below the surface. During hot, dry spells you may need to water your corn once or twice a day as soil in containers dries out quickly in the summer sun.

Fertilize with water-soluble fertilizer.

Apply water-soluble fertilizer (like Miracle-Gro) when you corn seedlings are about a foot tall. Repeat, following the application rate on the package, every 10 to 14 days. Plants grown in containers typically need more frequent ferltilizer  than those grown in the soil because some of the nutrients leach through the bottom of the pot with frequent watering.

Harvest your corn when the silk is dark and the ears are plump.

Your container corn may ripen sooner or later than the projected days to maturity. Check that the fine strand of silk have turned brown and the kernels have filled out sufficiently before picking your corn.
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables