No ears on my corn stalks

[BlackThumb]

Did a quick search and couldn't find a thread on this, but I might have missed it.

I planted two sections of corn this year. The sugar dots are doing beautifully, two medium sized ears per stalk. A month later, I planted red sweet corn. It is now six feet or more high, the tassles are forming, but there is not one ear on any stalk. No bulges, no silks, nothing. Straight stalks with tassles on top. I gave them some nitrogen (blood meal) about two or three weeks ago, and other than watering once every five or six days, as I did with the sugar dots, that's all I did.

Should I just pull them and try again? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[seedcorn]

Not yet, they may be late silkers. If you see no shoots during pollen drop, pull away.

 

[boggybranch]

Sounds like you have got yourself a fine stand of ready to use bean poles, if corn doesn't develope. When the garden "throw you a curve"........just "change gears".

 

[wifezilla]

Exactly! I am doing a test 3 sisters garden. Might not get ears on the corn, but the pumpkin is doing a good job of keeping those weeds down and the beans are poking up. If I get at least one thing harvest from that area I will be happy. It was a weed infested mess last year so anything would be an improvement.

 

[ducks4you]

How far apart did you plant the red corn? I'm not a corn expert, but somebody called in about their corn not silking and forming ears on Illinois Gardener last Thursday. The experts there said that you have to plant them about 6 inches or more from each other. They also suggested giving your corn some time, too. I KNOW that my sweet corn packages suggested planted 4 inches from each other, so I am glad to have heard that I shouldn't. Next year, I am planning to plant numerous rows of sweetcorn as I rotate out my tomato garden, and I'm putting them further apart than 4 inches. If it's something else, I AM interested. Who knew...?

 

[BlackThumb]

I researched before I planted both kinds and settled on 12" apart. I planted six rows of 12 plants each of two varieties, a month apart. Went out to check very closely last night and there are two tiny silks sprouting out, and those stalks are thickening at those spots, but none of the other stalks are doing either thing. Kind of odd. It will be interesting to watch. Meanwhile, we had sugar dots for dunner last night and they were awesome!

 

[seedcorn]

how thick or thin to plant varies on a lot of different things..........

Row width, fertility levels, water holding capacities of soil, irrigation, etc

I plant 6" apart on 30" row width or equivilant of 34,000 plants per acre. If someone plants 6" apart but on 15" row width, they are planting closer to 70,000 plants per acre. Most commercial corn is planted at 32,000 per acre.

 

[BlackThumb]

So spacing is why I am getting no ears?

 

[seedcorn]

not necessarily but too thick will slow down silk development as silks are 90% water.

 

[BlackThumb]

So maybe too little water might do it as well? That could be it.