Never, ever grown sweet corn before, but it is looking OK and has been watered. The tops have formed and feathery bits are coming off, do I need to chop anything back, or do I just leave it. Does the sweet corn come from the top or the side shoots. Don't want to chop the wrong bits off ??? or should I just leave it ;D ;D
Just leave it don,t chop anything off
Leave it to mother nature
The top bit is the male, the females comes out the side of the stem, starting with little hairlike tassles.
I think the only chopping that needs to be done is when the cobs are ready.
The side shoots from the base of the plant will produce another male out the top and possibly another female. There is a school of thought who suggest these should be cut off.
Here are the various stages of sweetcorn growing;
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweetcorn/Sweet%20corn/sweet%20corn.html
Sounds like you are at the stage shown in pic 13
I give mine a shake each time I go past to help pollination.
Well, still don't quite understand it, have got a lot of tassles at the top, thought that was the sweetcorn, but my friend (Manuel) cut off the bottom bits and replanted a few and said I shouldn't have let the stems grow out of the bottom (if you see what I mean). Did some watering and then it rained, but only briefly and he replanted the ones he had cut off which had roots. Will hope for the best and if not can always buy it.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/news/images/Vegetables/20060707corntasseling1.jpg
Top male, right at bottom of plant in picture is female, though they can be further up.
Perhaps it is a case of wait and watch. You will recognise the cob when you see it, but it will not be at the top of the plant.
As said Borlotti, do not, do not cut anything off, the corns come from the side and the tassels as said should be given a little shake every now and then to aid the pollenation and tell Manuel to leave well alone or Mr Faulty will be down on him like a ton of bricks. :o ;D ;D ;D
ours today, and we have side shoots ;D