sweetcorn

[bigdave]

Can anyone explain why my sweetcorn only has "corn" on the bottom half of the cob? The corn on the bottom half is ready to eat, ie liquid in corn is milky, but it does not produce corn on the top half, this is happening to all my plants.

[Flummery]

This is connected with pollination. Only the bottom, fatter part of the cob is pollinated. They need to be grown in blocks (you probably were) and they need the wind to pollinated then. Sometimes the weather dis-obliges us by being still when we want it windy. It's always a help to tap the corn stalks when the tassle at the top is producing pollen. Then it gets distributed over all the surrounding plants. Some years I find are worse for this problem than others.

[bigdave]

Thanks for that, They are in blocks, so next year will remember to "tap" the plants also, and not just to rely on the wind.

[rustylady]

Poor pollination - only the kernels connected to the tassels that were fertilized have developed. Advice for future years as Flummery says above.

[voddybabe]

so love this thread, it has happened to me too. I thought i must have been something wrong with them, roll on next year and try again.

[stanhol]

A big thankyou. I was just going to post a message about this after thinking I was having a lovely plate of corn last night turned out only to be 1/2 cobs!
I will be out tapping next year wind or no wind!
thanks again, Sandra

[bluemoon]

The bottom, pollinated bit is still perfectly edible, just cut off the un-pollinated part and cook as normal.

[butter fingers]

while corn is the subject here can someone explain to me how big cobs need to be before i start checking for ripeness.the plants seem to be going yellow at the base and only have one cob each if that. they are about 4feet tall and dont want to pick to soon but on the other hand they look as if they have had it and dont want to get nothing for my troubles, any one help !

[scarey55]

You can start checking when the tassels have gone a dark brown colour. Peel back the outer casing and if a sort of milky liquid comes out when you press a kernel it's ready. Don't bother with cooking though, just cut it off and eat it there and then as nature intended mmmm