This past growing season, I tried growing several vegetables from seeds. Like a lot of gardeners, some things worked great and some not so great. I sowed seeds for carrots, corn and celery. Here’s the outcome.
On Deck sweet corn was bred for growing in a container. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Seeds of On Deck sweet corn, bred for growing in containers, were sown in three Smart Pots, about two weeks apart. The instructions were to sow nine seeds in a 24-inch wide container. Nine of the seeds in the first batch germinated, three of the second, and four of the third. I think by the second and third batches, my dog Sadie discovered the pots and ate what she thought was grass. If there was anything about growing the corn it was that the seedlings look just like grass, reminding us that indeed, corn is a grain, not a vegetable.
So far, I’ve harvested four, 6-inch ears of white corn. The first one was gorgeous. Small, but it was filled out well, which means it was well pollinated. On the other three harvested ears, the kernels were few and far apart. I ate the first one and it was sweet, but the kernels were very small.
The ears also had a pretty good infestation of aphids, being defended by tiny ants. There was no damage from the aphids or the ants, and fortunately, I did not have any insect or disease damage. Even the raccoons haven’t found it.
Although production wasn’t great, I can cut the stalks and use them in fall arrangements. Will I grow On Deck again? Probably not. Certainly not with an expectations of a good crop. I’ll stick with the farmers market for my sweet corn.
An even bigger disappointment was the Peppermint Stick celery. Nothing, nada, not a seedling. I direct sowed this in a Smart Pot. I probably will try the celery again next year, only I’ll start the seeds indoors first, then transplant outdoors.
Short Stuff carrots were grown from seed from Renee’s Garden Seed. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
My greatest success was also the easiest. Short Stuff carrots did just what I wanted. These are not long, thin carrots, but rather short, fat ones, an absolutely perfect size for roasting with other root vegetables for winter dishes. These were so easy. I sprinkled seed thickly on the surface of dampened potting mix in a Smart Pot. As the seeds germinated and mini carrots grew, I thinned them out several times before just letting everything grow.
I plan to toss some straw or chopped leaves atop the pot of carrots to protect them from frost and freezes. Everyone tells me carrots get even sweeter once the temperatures cool. I will definitely grow carrots again.
Sure there were disappointments, but the process was fun and it gave me a chance to try something new. After all, that’s how we learn, right?