Oct
28
2015

Growing Sweet Corn in a Pot

The boys love eating corn so I thought why not try growing them? Then I remember that I don’t have a garden for this but it’s okay, I shall try growing corn in pots.

I bought seeds to start my sweetcorn project.

I planted the entire packet of seeds at once but only two successfully germinate.

I transfered those two into individual pots but one sunny evening, Ayden was playing with his ball and accidentally bounced it onto my corn plant, breaking one of them so I was left with only one surviving plant :(

I showered the surviving last plant with lots of love, sunshine and water till it finally grows a tassle.

I moved the pot outside where it gets full sunshine when I noticed ears growing from the side of the stalk.

I got excited seeing the silk growing. Now, from what I’ve read, a corn plant has both male and female flowers but they are in different locations. The male flowers form a tassel which is at the top of the plant while the female flower is located at the junction of leaves and stem or rather known as the silk (or bulu as we usually say it).

For corn kernels to develop, pollen from the male flowers (tassel) need to fall onto the silks below. Pollen must land on all silks for the ear to fill out completely with kernels. This is the reason why corn plant should be grown in blocks of rows, rather than in a long, single row. But I only have ONE plant! How?

Determination kept me going and I tried helping the female flower to pollinate by slowly tapping on the stalk so the pollen will drop onto a paper that I placed below the tassel. Then I placed the paper nearer to the silks and slowly blow the pollen hoping it will land on the silks and ‘mate’ lah.

But sad to say, nothing happened and I got an empty cob without any corn kernels.

See? It is totally empty, botak… I was so disheartened. I moved the pot back inside into a sheltered area as I realised the daily shower pretty much washed the pollen away.

I kept tapping and blowing the pollen and not long after that, I got this:

Beautifully developed corn kernels! FINALLY! I made it! I managed to grow corns in a pot!

I harvested the corn and was so happy to see a corn with perfectly filled kernels. I am so delighted that I am game to try all over again. I’ll buy another packet of seeds and this time I’ll make sure to get the soil temperature right so that more will germinate and I’ll have more corn plants to help pollinate each other.

Wish me luck! :D

Check out the rest of my potted garden success:

Tags: homegrown, organic, potted garden, sweet corn, urban garden

About the Author: Merryn Tan

22 Comments + Add Comment

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Waileng October 27, 2015 at 2:14 pm

Congratulations! Your corn looks pretty. I bought the same brand of corn seeds previously but none germinated. I ended up using fresh corns (just grab a few kernels of the cob) works. However all was lost when a monkey came to my backyard and destroyed it all.. Anyway, good luck! Hope your next batch of corns turn out beautifully!

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  Merryn October 27, 2015 at 2:42 pm
  
  You too? I thought there was problem with my soil hence the seeds did not germinate. I tried with fresh corns before I bought the seed but nothing happened. Maybe I’ll try again with fresh corn. Just pluck and plant?
  
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  Waileng October 27, 2015 at 3:54 pm
  
  Yup, with the fresh corn, almost all of them germinate. Just pluck and plant.
  
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    Merryn October 27, 2015 at 8:47 pm
    
    No wonder. I plucked and dried them before planting. LoL! Next time I’ll try planting the fresh kernels. Thank you :D
    
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  Waileng October 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm
  
  Most welcome (^_^)
  
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Bluedreamer27 October 28, 2015 at 1:14 am

wow I never thought that you can grow corns on a pot… i thought they really require a huge space

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Irvine Chin October 28, 2015 at 4:11 am

great idea! the great part of having your own garden :)

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suituapui October 28, 2015 at 5:28 am

Good for soups. If eaten on its own, not enough to go round. So so expensive these days over here – the Ligo ones, they call them. Sweet and nice but at the current prices, I’d rather not eat, go for something else.

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CL (RealGunners) October 28, 2015 at 9:41 am

What a freaking complicated process, this corn planting! Still need male and female mating!

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agnes October 28, 2015 at 1:00 pm

good try…next planting will sure be more fruitful.

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Yee Ling October 29, 2015 at 11:18 am

Hahah..now I know why is ‘botak’ .

Good job, mommy. I also started to have my little garden at home but not too ambitious yet since I only have time to shower them love during weekend. Weekday only water. Hahha

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mun October 30, 2015 at 10:30 pm

Yay! You got some corns in the end from your hard work instead of the botak corn. Do try to plant with fresh corns. All the best!

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Choi Yen November 2, 2015 at 3:20 pm

U really have green fingers lah, so jealous ~~

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  Merryn November 3, 2015 at 12:52 am
  
  Did the basil survive? LoL.
  
  Reply

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About Me

Home is where MY heart is.
I am a mother to two boys; Ethan and Ayden and a wife to Darling William. I'm a stay at home mum who blogs to break the monotony of life and to avoid feeling jaded. Would love to get to know all the Super Mommies and Daddies and Babies or Singles out there with the hope that we can learn more from each other. Most of all, I am a happy person, and I hope YOU are too.