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Growing Corn in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds

Gardening Guide: The Everything Corn Guide: All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating the All-American Crop

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Growing Corn in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds

By Norann Oleson

Growing corn next to other plants in the garden

Growing corn next to other plants in the garden

When first planning your corn garden, you should consider the type of land you can tend. If you have a large outside plot of land with the right soil and the right conditions for watering and draining, you might have the ideal situation for planting directly in the ground. If, however, your soil is too sandy or not the right composition, you might want to consider planting in raised beds. Because sweet corn depends on a lot of plants for pollination and yield, containers aren’t usually suitable for sweet corn. But don’t despair! Some ornamental corn varieties make attractive and interesting container plants for your patio. 

Growing Corn in Raised Beds

Corn in raised bed

Corn in raised bed

Creating raised beds for your corn garden can be a lot of work the first time you set up your beds. But, having raised beds allows you more control over your growing environment and they’re a good choice for planting corn. You’ll discover that watering, irrigation, weeding, and even harvesting are much easier—with items closer to your reach and contained in a space that is more manageable than growing in open land. Once you create your raised beds the first time, subsequent years will be easier.

A large raised bed that’s at least 6 feet long and 4 feet wide provides enough room to grow one block of corn. You can fit enough corn in a box of this size to produce about 60 ears. If you want to produce more corn, build more raised beds. Smaller raised beds are easier to maintain, and you won’t have to walk across the soil as much to pollinate and tend to the plot.

To create nicely contained raised beds for your corn, enclose your raised beds with wooden sides at least 8 inches wide—this helps keep the bed together, will be tall enough, and will make irrigation easier, too. With raised beds, your garden is less likely to contain the seeds of weeds that are often found in garden soil, so you’ll minimize the incidence of weeds overall, which will save you time and effort later. Weeding itself is so much easier with raised beds, because you don’t have to get down so far on the ground to remove the weeds.

  • Annual Tip: To optimize the soil in your raised beds, be sure to amend your soil with composting at least once a year—otherwise, your soil can become less productive for your plants.

Where have you planted your corn? What challenges have you faced about planning where to plant your corn? Have you tried growing your corn in raised beds? Please share your experiences here by commenting below.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Corn Plants
  • How to Pollinate—and Avoid Cross-Pollinating—Corn
  • Classification of Corn Plants
  • Choosing to Grow Corn from Seeds or Seedlings
  • Growing Corn in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds
  • Ensuring the Right Sunlight, Soil, Fertilizer, and Water for Your Corn Plants
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Corn Diseases Such as Corn Smut
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Corn Plants
  • The Right Way to Weed Your Corn Garden
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Corn
  • When and How to Harvest Your Corn
  • How to Hand-Pollinate Corn and Stop Growing Single-Kernel Cobs
  • Plant Profiles

  • Silver Queen Hybrid Corn
  • Ruby Queen Hybrid Corn
  • Picasso Hybrid Corn
  • Nirvana Hybrid Corn
  • Jubilee Hybrid Corn
  • Honey Select Hybrid Corn
  • Golden Bantam Heirloom Corn
  • Ambrosia Hybrid Corn
  • Recipes

  • Zucchini Corn Fritters
  • Vegetarian Corn Chowder
  • Tagliatelle with Corn and Tomatoes
  • Corny Cornbread
  • Fresh Sautéed Corn
  • Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
  • Mexican Street Corn
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Corn
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Corn
  • Resources about Corn
  • Corn Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • The Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Pots
  • Easy Chicken and Corn Skillet Recipe
  • The Everything Corn Guide—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating the All-American Crop
  • Featured Recipes

  • Cinna-Vanilla Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
  • Asparagus and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
  • Roasted Beet, Peach, and Goat Cheese Salad
  • Grilled Watermelon and Pineapple Skewers

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