Sweetcorn Failure

[LexLucre]

I was worried the tassels on my sweetcorn were showing signs of emerging too soon, and it looks like they have. Some of the stalks are a good height, but others are still pretty stunted. Some of the tassels are in full blown pollen emitting mode, but there's basically nothing in the way of silks for the tassels to pollinate.

Looks like this year will be a complete failure for the corn, but it would be good to understand why. Too hot? Not enough water? As we all know the last few weeks have been ridiculously dry. I didn't grow the trusty F1 variety that I've had success with in the past, and I've tried a Double Standard - Bicolour variety, perhaps that was a mistake.

Another thing to note was the stalks seemed to have more in the way of side shoots than usual, should I have cut these off?

[Jungle Jane]

I think tassels do appear before the silks don’t worry or anything you can feed them with a high nitrogen feed if you haven’t already. If only some of the tassels are showing on some plants,they’ll produce silks then other tassels will appear on other plants & pollination should be alright.

[bario1]

I wouldn’t give up hope yet. Nature knows what it’s doing.

[motherclanger]

I always worry about the tassels being dead and gone before the silks arrive but so far I've worried needlessly. I am lucky though as I grow all my veggies in pots so I can put a couple of my 20 corn plants in the greenhouse once the tassels start to produce pollen, that way I can collect the pollen every day as it doesn't blow away and keep it in a little tub to pollinate any silks that come through later after the tassels are done.

(I have read that not enough water can mean silks are slow to emerge or non-existant)

[Jungle Jane]

Ive never touched the tassels before the silks are visible,there’s a risk of damaging them. Once the silks appear I occasionally run my hand up the tassels to help the plant distribute the pollen,Ive never had silks come through later than the tassels are done,do you sow them all on the same day? You could just leave the plant to it if they’re outside with the wind but to get every silk pollinated it’s good to help it.

[motherclanger]

I don't touch the tassels, just tap the stem gently and let the pollen fall onto a sheet of paper.

I have 20 plants, I sowed the second half a couple of weeks after the first to try and space the harvesting out a bit.

They probably would all pollinate fine on their own, I just like to make sure. Had lots of perfect cobs last year so definitely worth it.

[Jungle Jane]

Ive never done two separate sowings,mine all go in at the same time,two blocks of ten sounds good but one block of mixed age corn would be tricky pollinating. Good luck with your corn they love all this sun

[LexLucre]

Well my inexperience showed and silks started to slowly appear a day or two after I posted this. Still seems a bit late, a lot of the tassels look to be winding themselves down now but there are still some silks to appear. We shall see!

I only have a single bed of about 13 plants. I normally try and give them a hand pollinating in the morning, tapping tassels over a plant saucer and using a paintbrush to redistribute over the silks. Quite time consuming really but it's only for a week or so and I'd rather not risk dud cobs!

Thanks all

[4Shoes]

Still on sweetcorn... Found this wee chap on mine tonight. I thought I had slugs.




Idea on what is it called?

[motherclanger]

Looks a bit like a brown tail moth caterpillar, don't know what he'd be doing on a sweetcorn plant though, maybe he's lost

[Penellype]

I agree it could be brown tail moth. Don't touch it - the hairs are very very irritating and can cause unpleasant reactions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-tail

[4Shoes]

Looks a bit like a brown tail moth caterpillar, don't know what he'd be doing on a sweetcorn plant though, maybe he's lost

Will need to look in garden and try to find these moths. Never seen one (or should that be noticed them) - Moth that is..

Found another 2 grubs today. They like sweetcorn leaves and they have started on the leaf where silks are forming.

They are out of there

[Python15]

Read Penellype's link, wow, Nasty!!

[4Shoes]

Good news - not a brown tail moth.



Don't know what it is, but fairly sure I have not seem that moth, and closer inspection shown different pattern on grub.


Where the brown trail (right) has the 2 orange / red dots on segments 3 & 4, my grub (left) has a black collar segment

[4Shoes]

Looking like the last of the silks will not get pollinated.
They are still forming but the tassels are past.

Is this normal?

just 2 or 3 will not be pollinated.