RE: [gardeners] Corn is falling over
Kay Lancaster (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 29 Jun 1998 12:24:51 -0700 (PDT)
On Mon, 29 Jun 1998, Seyfried,Alice wrote:
> Thanks, Kay! No, they haven't started tassling yet. They're about knee
> high right now. I'll keep an eye on them and pray they straighten up on
> their own. If they don't straighten up by the time they start tassling,
> I'm sure I'll be back to find out how to hand pollinate them. My 4 year
> old is so excited to be growing corn (his favorite veggie and his first
> garden), I'll do anything to make sure these survive.
With a 5x12 block of plants, you'll need to hand pollinate anyway.
When the silks start to emerge from the ears, find a tassel that's
starting to shed pollen. Break off a bit of the tassel (a branch or
two), and "dust" the silks with the tassel, as if you were using
a feather duster. Alternatively, you can put a paper bag over
a tassel, and hold the opening closed around the stalk. Shake like
crazy to get pollen to shed into the bag, then use a paintbrush to
transfer pollen from the bag to the silks.
Do pollinate every day for about a week -- you'll get nicely filled
ears that way.
Kay Lancaster kay@fern.com
just west of Portland, OR; USDA zone 8 (polarfleece)