Sugar Corn/Sweet Corn Problem

I have tried to grow sugar corn (or sweet corn) for two years. It grows well at first then has tiny partially filled ears that I'm unable to harvest. What am I doing wrong?



ANSWER:

It sounds like your corn is not getting adequately pollinated.

Corn is best planted in blocks of at least 4 rows of plants. This is because the corn plants are self-pollinated; the pollen usually being carried or dispersed by the wind.

The corn tassel (on top of the plant) releases pollen which drops onto the silk which is protruding from the top of what will become the ears of corn.

You will notice that the outer rows of corn in your garden will not be as productive as the inner rows of corn. This is because they do not receive as much pollen as the inner rows.

If you are growing a small plot of corn, it will be helpful to make sure to shake or brush some of the pollen from the corn plant tassel onto the silk that is growing from the immature corn ears. This should be done during the dry part of the day if done by hand.

You can tell when the tassel begins producing pollen by gently shaking the tassel. When you see a powdery substance falling from the tassels, that is the corn pollen.

Good luck; let me know how it turns out!