no ears on corn stalks

[rooneymom]

Just got back after a long vacation. My corn stalks are beautiful and tall and getting their tassles but only 1 stalk has 1 ear of corn. None on the others. Anyone know why?

[derricksonb]

Our corn is just starting to develop on a few of our 92 day variety, but for some reason the 62 day corn that we planted at the same time has yet to start growing anything.

[KatherineA]

Rain. Much of corn pollination occurs from the rain (well, at least it does for field corn) It seems like it rained enough early on to pollinate though, so I am really not sure why the ears are sparse.

Another factor might be how far away the individual stalks are planted from each other which made pollination difficult.

No pollination = no kernels or less kernels and so no ears or small ears with uneven kernels.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0128.html

Here is a link to an Ohio extension service thing on corn.

If the tassels are just out - those are the "boy" parts. They have to come out to springle their stuff on the silks below. So, there may not be ears yet because the plants aren't mature enough to have sex.

[evolsno1]

deer ate mine

[rooneymom]

I understand the pollination part. We've grown corn before. What I'm saying is that there are no "ears" at all. They grow on the stalks before pollination begins. Then the silk comes out of the ears to catch the pollen from the tassles on top of the stalks. It's just wierd. The fact that only one stalk has 1 ear and the rest have none. I'll research it more when I have time. I'm just busy right now playing catch up on the weeding and pest patrol. Darn cuke beetles and squash bugs!

[Neophyte Man]

Darn cuke beetles and squash bugs!
Yeah, lots of those the year. Say which seed did you use? The dang ones I got from Southern States(red ones) did nothing.

[rooneymom]

Got a packet of Burpee Silver Queen from the supermarket. It was an impulse buy cause the kids wanted to grow it. I'd gotten some carrot seeds from Jung and they didn't even sprout (I did a second planting just to make sure and still nothing). I was surprised because I've always had good luck with Jung's. Had some pumpkins last year that didn't sprout either. So bad seeds usually don't sprout. These corn plants are beautiful and healthy, just no ears.

[rooneymom]

Okay, finally had a few minutes to do a quick search. Seems that sometimes the tassles will appear and the ears will come later. In the past I remember the ears being there when the tassles came out. So, I guess I'll wait it out.

[KatherineA]

Are you going to have open seating for the neighbors when the corn plants reach puberty? :)

Also, I vaguely remember (its been since 1993 when I left the farm) that we used to cut open a corn stalk and inside, sort of like a little baby, you can see what will be the ear. If you want to sacrifice a stalk, you can try this. I had 200 acres of corn stalks so it wasn't a big loss to do that to show the kids (and me) the miracle of seeds, but . . . if you just a small patch losing even one stalk is a big deal.

[rooneymom]

Are you going to have open seating for the neighbors when the corn plants reach puberty? :)



Just another excuse to have a party! Woo hoo!

[LFE]

Yeah, lots of those the year. Say which seed did you use? The dang ones I got from Southern States(red ones) did nothing.

I did not know you could buy cuke beetle and squash bugs in seed form :-)
- and the ones from SS maybe good monisato type seeds (self killing :-) hahahahahahaha