Topic: No cobs appearing on my sweet corn plants

[tricia]

I have 10 Ovation sweet corn plants growing vigorously. Most of them have sprouted the flower out of the centre of the plants but as yet there is no sign of cobs forming on the stems.

This is the first time I've tried growing S.C. and don't know what to expect. Will cobs still make their appearance?

Thanks for advice.

Tricia

[Mrs Ava]

Blimey, my plants are only about a foot tall and I won't be expecting cobs to start forming for a month or more yet.  I can't remember how they grow now as last year my crop failed completely.  An expert corn grower will come along shortly and help us out!

[carloso]

lol im with you Em mIne are all just about a foot tall and dont expext to see anything until the end of next month on a good day with the wind blowing in the right direction

Just a bit more patience i think

carl

[tricia]

But my plants are about 4 feet tall and have stems about an inch thick. Most of them have these flower heads. I started the plants in the GH and once in the ground they really took off and are very strong plants. I am afraid  the flowers will be finished before the cobs appear. Can anyone tell me the normal sequence please? Is it usual for the flower heads to emerge when the plants are 4 feet tall? and how much later do the cobs normally start to appear? I am so confused ::)

I grew Tender and True for my friend and on his plants too the flowers are appearing - but I did note that  cobs seems to be emerging on two of his plants.

Tricia

[prink13]

Something is not right here.........................my corn is nearly at the giddy height of 4 inches!.......................strange that there are no cobs showing on them yet!

I personally have never had success with corn before, but good luck to all of us

[Curryandchips]

My corn are only 12 inches (or less), so don't expect any flowers for a few weeks yet. I have noticed that this year is very strange, presumably due to the late spring ...

[sandersj89]

The flower head has to mature and then start to shed pollen and that will take a few weeks, by that time cobs should be starting to form and you will see the silks.

Pollination is via the silks and then the cobs will swell for harvest so you should be fine I am sure.

Very impressed by how early and large your plants, mine are between 12 and 18 inches tall at the moment and were started inside as well.

HTH

Jerry

[Trevor Holloway]

Some of my sweetcorn are falling over, maybe the seed was not deep enough or the clay ground is too hard - would I be OK mounding up around the base ?
They are between six inches and a foot tall (15 -30 cm for the younger ones out there).

[umshamrock]

Tricia,

After I saw your post this morning I went to my allotment and I have flowers on my corn too! Cobs will be soon...maybe in the next month or so. Last year was my first year and I had maybe 16-20 plants and loads of corn from Aug - Oct. This year I let them grow on in the greenhouse first, (I didn't have one last year) and the plants are much more thick and sturdy this year and are already about 3 feet high.

Trevor,

I have heard that corn likes to be earthed up, so mound away.

[vaca]

I sowed some sweetcorn at the beginning of april and lanted 28 seedlings out at the beginning of may. Just yesterday I've noticed most of the sweecorn has flowered and the plants are about 1 meter tall.

First time growing them so have no idea what to expect. I'm sure the corn knows much better what it needs to do than I do  ;D

Anyways, I did find that 3 or 4 plants were slanting a little too much so have earthed them up to give them some more support. We've got some resident foxes on our plots and they always come out at night and cause havoc  >:(

Vaca

[tricia]

Very impressed by how early and large your plants, mine are between 12 and 18 inches tall at the moment and were started inside as well.

Thanks for your explanation of how sweet corn plants develop Jerry. Here you can see how tall the plants are...........not good snaps but difficult to get a good shot since the ten plants are rather hemmed in.

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/3317347

Tricia

[saddad]

I grow Ovation and have found it very reliable, and earth it up if it leans over, it will make extra roots into the mound!
 ;D

[gerbera]

Wow! Tricia....your corn looks great! I loved the pictures of your veg plot. It looks to be a similar size to mine......but much neater and more productive! I'm sure your corn will produce cobs soon. I only hope mine will catch up and look so healthy!

Creckless

[Mrs Ava]

I agree, great veggie patch and amazing corn!  Mine are tiddlers in comparison!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

A few of my sweet corn have fallen over as well; it's because I didn't plant them deep enough. I'm just going round replanting them and watering them in well. It doesn't seem to bother them if you do it reasonably soon after planting out, before they've developed large root systems.