SWEETCORN - does it need deep soil?

[Sanjo]

As my OH thinks I have done very well with the veg.bed he made me he has very kindly ordered me a set of Link a Boards to make a raised bed. My first bed is full of salad, carrots and spuds and is normal garden depth. However it is full and I have a sudden fancy for some sweetcorn. Do the peeps think that the raised bed would be suitable. I am only doing one board high which is around 6". It will be filled with soil and compost. Next year will not be a problem as I shall keep the shallower bed for the salad and grow the deeper rooting stuff like PSB in the normal bed. I am also temped (it's great to have that little bit of extra space - I am so chuffed) to try some no dig maincrop spuds in the raised bed. Is it deep enough and am I in time to plant some? All advice gratefully received. PS we are going to put ground cover down first as he says I can lay it out on the smaller bit of lawn. Ain't he a sweetie - and he doesn't even eat the veg!!!! Sanjo

[Paulottie]

Don't bother with the membrane underneath. Strip turf (stack in the corner in pile to make topsoil for next year) then dig over the bottom add your muck and compost to fill. Then put your membrane on top and plant through that with your spuds and sweetcorn. Jobs a goodun.

[Cutecumber]

I can't quite work out what you've got and what you're planning and I don't know what normal garden depth is! So...

A single layer link-a-bord on a hard surface or membrane (i.e. that's all the depth you have) is not really suitable for big vegetables - so, no, I wouldn't grow potatoes in it or sweetcorn personally - there just isn't room. Neither would I try runner beans or winter vegetables.

For a 6 inch depth, you're fine with lettuce and other leaves like spinach, beetroot, stump-root carrots and radish. Quick summer cabbage and calabrese might work too. I have done tomatoes in only slightly more depth than this, but it's nightmare for watering to be honest. My minimum depth now is 12 inches. Oh, it's not even just about soil depth for the roots but also about stability, which is a problem for me in my windy garden

Either get another layer or put it on soil as Paul says.

[Curvy Vixen]

I actually planted out some sweetcorn last night ~ just 4 plants that are about 6 inches tall that I bought from a garden centre.

Found this on another site...HTH..

Sweet corn must be grown in full sun, where shelter from strong winds is provided. It is not too particular about the soil, although it hates clay. Because sweet corn sends down deep roots, it prefers a deeply dug bed.

[Sanjo]

Thanks everyone. The reason for the membrane is because neither of us at the moment is fit enough to dig - me with only one hand and OH with bad knee. I'll have to have a rethink !!!!! More carrots, beets and radishes methinks.

[rustylady]

Thanks everyone. The reason for the membrane is because neither of us at the moment is fit enough to dig - me with only one hand and OH with bad knee. I'll have to have a rethink !!!!! More carrots, beets and radishes methinks.

The whole point of raised beds is that you don't have to dig! Are your raised beds on soil, lawn, or concrete? If on soil or lawn you should be able to grow almost anything - deep-rooted or not. As for your original question about sweetcorn, no they're not particularly deep-rooted. I find the roots tend to go more sideways than down. However, they do need planting fairly well apart.

[Paulottie]

I think this is one of the very rare ocassions that I disagree with Rustylady While I agree that they have lateral roots the suggestion was put a membrane on the grass and 6" raised bed on that. (maybe she missed that bit) I suspect they will topple over as Cutecumber suggests. Even if you don't dig it over put the membrane on top of bed and plant through- rather than between bed and lawn.

[Sanjo]

Thanks again everyone. Ordered the Link a Bord on Tuesday and it arrived today, how's that for service. I am all geared up with the membrane and compost and I'm raring to go. Will probably get rid of the grass although I haven't broken that to OH yet as he has paid out £12 for membrane. I shall have to tell him he misunderstood me and I meant it to go on top of the compost!!

[kentvegplot]

I grew all my no-dig potatoes in Link a bord single depth last year. They were fantastic, so I don't think you should worry at all. I didn't have a membrane underneath, and didn't dig either - the potatoes and their straw/grass covers didn't need it, and did a fine job of clearing the ground. I'm doing my sweetcorn in one this year too, so I'll let you know how I get on

[Sanjo]

Thanks Kentvegplot. I think I'll hedge my bets a bit although I am very keen on the no dig spuds idea. I also treated myself to some sweetcorn plants today (mini cobs) as mine seemed to have forgotten how to germinate so I am going to give them a go. If I can still get hold of a few maincrop I'll try it out. Sandra

[dan1979]

Interesting, I've got sweetcorn in a single depth link a bord bed (which sits on concrete) at the moment...

Thinking now maybe I should move them.

[the garden gnome]

rrrr just plant some and see how it goes thats wat i have done .great if grows if it dont r well worth trying ,good luck

[Two_Sheds]

plant sweetcorn in a block

I actually planted out some sweetcorn last night ~ just 4 plants that are about 6 inches tall that I bought from a garden centre.

the received wisdom is to plant sweetcorn in a block - because it is wind-pollinated. You won't get much of a block out of four plants, so go round shaking them to release the pollen.

[Nicos]

When I pull them out in the autumn, they seem to have a main rootball of about 8-12" if that's any help???( bare with me on this one...I'm useless about remembering sizes!!!)

[bazzaboy]

Sanjo, Prob too late for this year but an idea for next.... as RustyLady says, the whole point of raised beds is to avoid too much digging, so potatoes are not necessarily the best there because they either require digging or, using the under-membrane method, take up precious space. However restricted the space you can grow best potatoes with no digging by growing them in bags - and I reckon they taste better too! You can get the purpose-made "patio bags" but they're expensive and old compost bags do the same job (turn them inside out if you don't want to spend all summer looking at the commercial name). Ensure some drainage holes, a few seed pots in each, earth up until nearly full..... When the time comes to crop them just tip them out (if more than immediately required keep them covered in damp compost). Once all the spuds extracted the compost can be used to top up the raised beds. No digging, no speared potatoes, easily tended and cropped, more space for other stuff in the raised beds - and a supply of freshly worked soil/compost for next year's raised beds. Win win! bb