What caused my corn to not develop fully?

[DocHeb]

My first attempt at sweet corn was a little disappointing. Most of the ears looked like the ones in the attachment. Any suggestions?

[fivestring]

I'm no expert, but I have stayed at Holiday Inn Expresses....

Corn needs lots of water and fertilizer (especially nitrogen). These are especially needed while the ears are forming. If they didn't get enough of each, that hurts production. You might have left it on the stalk too long, also, by the looks of dents in the kernels.
Were you growing white or yellow corn? It looks like someone near you was growing the opposite color corn, thus the white and yellow kernels. That happened to me this year, I grew Silver Queen and someone elso grew yellow corn. Some of my corn was yellow and white.

[farmerpsv]

Whats up doc?
That corn doesn't look to bad to me, maybe a bit over ripe as Gary suggested. The top being "undeveloped" is a pollination issue. each silk must have pollen from the tassel at the top of the stalk in order to develope a kernal of corn. thats why you always need a couple of rows or blocks, in order to get proper pollination. looks like you have a bi-color type. if it was a bit tough, you probably picked it to late. still for your first attempt, that's pretty great [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
paul

[mikell]

Not everyones born with a green thumb. Keep reading, asking questions and planting.

mikell

[DocHeb]

I planted two types of corn, both were to be bicolor. One type was supposed to be a very early maturer, but the ears were only 4 inches long! - but boy-o-boy was that corn sweet. The kids cracked up when I told them I had cooked 25 ears of corn for our family of five, but all the ears disappeared. The pictures were of my second type that I left on the stalk too long.

You're right about the nitrogen - I had planted and after the stalks started up they yellowish and growth stalled. I then read that corn had a high nitrogen requirement so I used a mix of 30-3-3 lawn mix and 12-12-12 general purpose fertilizer. They took off after that, but by then it was pretty dry here. Unfortunately we are at the farm only 1-2 days a week. I also think it is a pollination issue as farmerpsv posted. I had planted 4 parallel 12 foot rows. I had torn off a couple tassles and wacked them gently against the silk, but only did that on one visit.

Things I learned:
1. Plant earlier, and plant more rows.
2. Incorporate nitrogen fertilizer with the planting soil.
3. Help out a little more with the pollination to make up for not having a large planting of corn.
4. Pick earlier.
5. You shouldn't let your kids watch you eat the corn raw as you pick it since they'll figure it must be good, and they'll want some too.

[fivestring]

Things I learned:
1. Plant earlier, and plant more rows.
2. Incorporate nitrogen fertilizer with the planting soil.
3. Help out a little more with the pollination to make up for not having a large planting of corn.
4. Pick earlier.
5. You shouldn't let your kids watch you eat the corn raw as you pick it since they'll figure it must be good, and they'll want some too.

<font color="blue">6. Plant successive crops 3-4 weeks apart. Makes putting corn up less of a chore. </font color>

[LazyJ_Arabians]

Ol' timers that raised me grew corn like it was a religion. They considered it heresey to allow a tractor in the cornpatch, compacted the soil, corn's gotta be able to breath and spread its roots. They had tractors and cultivators but they also had a plowhorse or mule and Georgia-stock plow for the corn. I should never have doubted them. I plowed my corn for years with a cultivator with mediocre results. I thought it was the clay in my soil. We've got a collar/harness for our Tenn Walker and she enjoys pulling a cart so this year I thought I'd teach her to "GEE" and "HAW" to a plow just for nostalgic kicks. I was able to hill dirt up on the rows well past the corn height I could have been able to get a tractor through it while turning in ammonia nitrate each time and I think that was the key to a great crop of corn.

And I could hear them ol' timers in heaven laughing at me wrestling with that plow with the reins around my neck and sweet-talking that big mare.

[Slamfire]

Hey you got some! I got one row planted then came the deluge, rained every other day, and I never got back into the patch.

[agcomike]

My soil has a lot of clay it keeps crusting over the top 8" or so. I'm puzzled as to why it has compacted so readily so quickly. Maybe tons of organic matter will help?

[fivestring]

"Maybe tons of organic matter will help? "

Yes.

Make it equal parts soil (your soil, which is clay), sand (or perlite) and organic matter. The organic matter should be at least 1/3 peat.