Corn Question

[rmonge00]

I have a few questions about corn....

1. I planted sweet corn and indian corn right next to each other, but 2 weeks apart. I think they cross pollinated because the sweet corn is a bit starchy and has a couple of purple kernels per cob. This cross polllination happens in corn right? Next year, how far do I need to plant them apart? What should I use the corn for - I was thinking corn meal...

2. When I harvested the corn, the bottoms were all filled out, but the top kernels were not developed. Does this mean I picked them to early or just that they didn't get completely pollinated?

I appreciate the advice!!

Ryan

 

[seedcorn]

1) Sweet corn is to be harvested at the early dough stage--some do at blister stage. You may have harvested the sweet corn too late and that will give you starchy kernels. Indian corn is to be harvested after black layer preferably 20% or lower.
2) Sounds like you have cross pollination if you have purple kernels in sweet corn, altho some varieties of sweet corn can have purple in them.
3) Distance to stop cross pollination can be tricky. Best solution for home gardener is to use different maturities so they don't pollinate at the same time. If you use enough difference they can be side by side with no problems. Split planting could help solve or (if different maturities) magnify problem.
4) Kernels missing on the tip of the ear could be many causes. Lack of silks due to no moisture, animals feeding on silks to stop pollination, lack of water to fill the kernels, or picked (sweet corn) too early before they started to fill. Could happen easily if rest of ear is just out of blister stage.
5) Pictures tell a thousand words as to cause.