“My corn always looks great, but when I pick it, there’s nothing on the cobs. No kernels. I love fresh picked corn, but it is just too hard to grow.”

Don’t give up. A great corn crop in your small garden is possible if you’re willing to become Mother Nature’s partner in pollination.

CORN POLLINATION IN A SMALL GARDEN
Just like tomatoes, squash and melons corn must be properly pollinated. Unlike other garden crops, corn pollen comes from flowers that don’t look like flowers. Corn flowers are tassels growing out from the top of mature corn stalk. Each tassel will be have branches growing off a central spike. Depending on the variety, tassels appear about 60 days after corn seeds germinate or when stalks reach their maximum height.

A few weeks after the tassels appear, the ears form lower down on the stalk. They are easy to spot because a spray of cream colored silks begin to push out of each immature ear. Each tiny silk is connected to a immature corn kernel inside the ear. Typically an ear will have about 800 individual silks. Each tiny silk is connected to a immature corn kernel inside the ear. Typically an ear will have about 800 individual silks. Silks will continue to grow for about 10 days or until it they are pollinated.

Pollination happens when a pollen grain from a tassel lands on a silk. Voila. A sweet tasty kernel is born.

Corn is wind pollinated so it doesn’t need bees or other pollinating insects. Corn in small gardens fail to pollinate correctly when the wind blows tiny pollen grains away from the silks. Two techniques help solve this problem.

PLANTING ON CENTERS
Forget seed packet planting instructions about planting in rows. For small gardens planting “on centers” works best. “On Center” planting method results in packed stand of corn stalks. Tightly packed stalks increases the chances pollen will land on a silk.

“Planting on Center” starts with planting guide. This is 15 inch equilateral triangle (all sides equal) cut out of cardboard. Begin by laying the triangle 7 inches from the bed border then plant a seed at each point of the triangle. Roll the triangle over to the next position and plant a seed at unplanted points (NOTE: If I am going to have extra seeds I plant two or three at each point and thin the plants later). Planting on 15 inch centers should give you about 16 tightly packed stalks in a 4x8 bed.

DIY POLLINATION
Pollen is released when little brown tags (anthers), about 1/8 inch long, start dangling from the tassels shoots. This pollen release only lasts about two weeks, and is heaviest in the morning once the dew has evaporated. It is easy to know when pollen release happens because a spots of fine yellow powder accumulate on the green corn leaves.

Once it is shed, a grain of corn pollen only remains viable for a few minutes so time is of the essence. Here’s where you come in. You’ll need to hand pollinate your corn so pollen grains reach the corn silks as quickly as possible.

Google-ing will turn up many great tips for hand pollinating corn. Here’s mine. Every day during pollen drop, I will shake a stalk over silks on adjacent stalks. In the early days of the release, pollen dust will be heavy, but will lessen as the days go by. So, it is best to begin hand pollinations as soon as the anthers start to dangle. You can slightly bend the stalks and move leaves to help the pollen grains find the silks. Shaking works best when the wind is very light, but there is one more you can do.

After the morning shake, examine the tassels. Find side branches with dangling anthers. Cut them off a branch or two then rake them on all sides of the silks. Some of the anthers will be left behind on the silks.

Anthers dangling from corn tassel ready to release pollen

PICKING TIME\
Inside the ear, pollinated corn kernels begin a ripening process. Kernels grow plump filling with sweet juice, and, at the height of sweetness, begin to toughen as the sugar turns to starch. Corn is sweetest when the sugar content is highest. Time-to-Maturity varies with variety, but generally corn ears are ready to pick about three weeks after silks first emerge. The silks will all be brown. To test for ripeness pick a plump ear and look for three things.

First, the kernels should be yellow (or yellow and white for bi-color varieties) and plump. Next, mash a kernel with your thumb. If liquid spurts out, you’re good. Now the best part. Take a bite of the raw corn. Sweet and tender means its ready to pick. Pick and process all ripe ears at once. Ears left on the stalk too long will loose their sweetness and become tough.

Don’t let absentee kernels keep corn from your small garden. Fix this problem with “Planting on Centers” and hand pollination. Soon you’ll be enjoying the sweetest treat your garden has to offer - fresh picked corn.