Growing Sweet Corn in Containers this Year *PICS*

[rnewste]

Sue,

With your long summer sunshine, if I can get a crop from seed to dinner table in about 90 days here, you should have no problem at all in Anchorage in even less time. You can order the seed from Gurney's and I am sure they can get it to you shortly.

Ray

[akgardengirl]

Sunshine has not been a part of the equation this summer. The greenhouse was 42 degrees this morning. Possibly up north in Fairbanks when the weather is cooperating they could produce some. It has been mostly overcast so far and I pretty much call it quits toward the end of Aug. We do get plenty of daylight tho without the sun. Who knows...maybe next year I will get a little more adventurous and plant some. I am trying eggplants and a cucumber for the 1st time this year.
Sue

[Sherry_AK]

This wouldn't be the year to try corn, but it can be done. This was 2005.

[salix]

Sue, we are also in a short season area - I start them as transplants (and yes, Ray, soaking the seed overnight does help) and set them out near the beginning of June at about a foot high. Most years we get a few tasty treats.

[rnewste]

For those with short growing seasons, one of the (unexpected) things that I have observed with container growing, is that the soil temperature warms up to planting temperature much sooner than my in-ground bed. I would think this would even be more of a factor in Alaska and B.C. zones.

Have any of you folks up North experimented with above ground container growing vs. in ground? I remember walking down the main street in Skagway last August just amazed at the vegetables growing there. I would think if you can get soil at planting temps one month earlier in containers, then corn might be a viable crop.

Ray

[Sherry_AK]

Ray -- Virtually all of my tomatoes are grown in pots. Ever the optimist, I do plant half a dozen plants each year in a bed along the south side of the greenhouse. Well, actually they are in bottomless pots, raised above the bed. All my greenhouse plants (tomatoes and cukes) are in pots. The rest of my tomatoes are in pots in the driveway. I think the asphalt really helps heat those up. Some more pots on the deck.

The corn I grew was actually in the ground, and as salix suggested, was from transplants started early indoors. I don't recall how big they were when I finally set them out. It was the only year I've tried corn, and I just didn't feel like the return was worth the real estate. Garden space is too precious!

[akgardengirl]

Ray,
All my tomatoes, eggplant and the lonely one cucumber are in pots. I use containers for everything even salad greens. Last year I purchased a greenhouse on the suggestion from Sherry. I really like it and the tomatoes are happier now that they don't get rained on. I moved the gh this year to a much sunnier spot along the driveway so I am really hoping to get a slew of tomatoes this season. Right now I am waiting for the sun! We have had more overcast days than sunny ones. Lately the day will start out overcast and then we will get sun in the late afternoon.
Sue