Sweetcorn - is all gone horribly wrong! Advice?

[Seahorse]

Up until yesterday, my sweetcorn was looking fine. I have four planted in large trough in my greenhouse. This morning I went to look and found that they were all sort of rotting(?) from the centre out

I've taken a couple of pics. In the first one, the inner leaves have actually fallen off. In the second one, the whole inner top is keeling over:





There seem to have been some bugs on them (see second pic). Is that what has caused this? Is there anything I've done wrong? The lower stalks seem firm and healthy still.

I have more sweetcorn outdoors, so I'm hoping to try and ID whats happened here in an effort to avoid it happening to my others too. I've searched online but can't find an obvious culprit. Really hoping someone here can help me!

Claire

[sweetcorn]

Hi seahorse

Saw you had no replies, and as my name is Sweetcorn, felt honour bound to try and help. Have just looked in 'The Vegetable and Herb Expert' and have found the following:

TROUBLES


Frit Fly: maggots bore into the growing points of corn seedlings which then develop twisted and ragged leaves. Growth is stunted and undersized cobs are produced. Control measures are not generally worthwhile but the crop can be protected by using seed dressed with an insecticide or by dusting the seedlings with HCH

Do you think this matches your problem?? Don't know what HCH is tho!!!!

[rustylady]

Oh dear! I've never grown sweetcorn in a greenhouse, I believe it's much better suited to open ground. Maybe there wasn't enough ventilation and you have some sort of rot. Either way, if you lose the top bits (male flowers) you won't get any pollination, and therefore no crop. Are they in moveable pots that you could put outside? Or is it too late?

[Seahorse]

Thanks both of you! I think lack of ventilation is a possibility. I could lug the pot outside but I fear it's too late really All is not lost though, I have more in an outdoor tub and still more in open soil. The outdoor tub is doing quite well. The ones in the veg bed are still rather small but I live in hope of an 'Indian Summer' and late ripening.

It's all a learning experience for me - shan't bother with greenhouse corn next year!

Claire

[Spuds up]

I don't know what is causing the damage but I think you will struggle anyway in the greenhouse.

As far as I am aware sweetcorn pollinates in the wind. So I don' think the greenhouse is the best place for them. Also I have never planted so few as they pollinate between each other. That is why you plant them in blocks and not rows.

[Alison]

Probably a stupid question but as I've not grown sweetcorn before I'm not too sure!!! Anyway, mine is in the garden, in blocks so that's all OK but doesn't seem to be growing very quickly. How high should it be at this time of year? Was trying to do the 3 sisters thing but the only thing shooting up is the beans so it's a bit of a disfunctional family.

[Alice]

Alison, my corn is planted outside. It's about 2 feet high. I don't think I'm going to see a crop from it but reluctant to pull it out just yet. I abandoned any notion of the 3 sisters method early on. My beans are 6 - 7 feet high and making beans. The corn would be well swamped. I'll wait a bit and see how it goes. Is anybodies corn doing well ?

[Nicos]

I am doing 3 sisters too for the first time.
The corn is about 2 ft high and just getting flowers, but it's a goog3" wide at the base.
The beans are climbing up canes I pushed in next to each corn ( ye of little faith!!) and are about 3 ft high.
The squash are just about to flower and are doing better than those in the squash bed.
No idea what is up with your sweetcorn though- sorry!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi,

Can I ask what the corn should look like, silly question I know!!

It is outside and planted in blocks about 4' high and looking healthy, I have the 'husk things' growing out the top (like in the picture in the first post) Is this normal or can it bolt??

Starting to panic about it

Thanks, Mandy

[Flummery]

The tassles from the top are the male bit and you will get side shoots with silky 'hair' which are the female bits. The pollen drops or blows from the tassly tops to the silky shoots and pollinates them. These side-shoots become the corn cobs and will fatten up. Yours isn't bolting Mandy, it's a-doin' what comes naturally!

Mine are about waist height now and have both tassles and silk. Living in hopes!

[Cutecumber]

Sounds fine to me, Mandy. You are on course for a crop!

It can be worrying when you see the male flowers appear before the cobs, but things normally work out... the male bits take a while to produce their pollen and the cobs can grow very quickly. You just have to let things take their course.

Plenty of water and enough food. Watch out for the wind, though - a small group of plants in an exposed area could snap. Earthing up around the base is a wise move.

[vegnut]

Hi all.
A good point raised regarding male flowers appearing before the cobs. I'm growing the minipop variety, and i understand that you pick the cobs before they are pollinated. As the male flowers are already out, and the cobs are just showing as thin green spikes. Should or could i cut off the male flowers to stop pollination.
thanks
Dave