Would be interested to hear if more expert gardeners think there's a
problem in "closing" the tops of the corn. Always ready to learn

I'm no "expert gardner" but having grown up with farms (and therefore
corn) all around, I can tell you.. the tops MUST be alowed to open.
That is, if you expect to actally get any corn off the plants. No
opens, no pollinates, no corns...

You want the other side of it though? You don't have to open every
one. about every 3rd or 4th will provide enough pollen to do the job.
some of the big seed corn companies do this to create thier hybred
corn seed. they plant four rows of "female" corn, then a row of
"male" corn, four more of "female" another "male" then they hire a
bunch of kids at minimum wage to come and pull off all the tassels
(the part on top that opens up) out of the "female" stalks. the
"male" corn is the only kind of pollen there is, and it will pollinate
the "female" ears. that way you have a mixed-breed (or hybred) corn
that does what they want. when it comes time for harvest, they walk
though the fields, and chop the "male" plants down. or they use
special combines that only harvest 4 rows at a time. either way, they
don't worry about the "male" rows, unless they want to save that seed
for next year.

Incidently, on a slightly differant thread: that is why hybred
tomatos, peaches, and about everything else that is hybred will not
reproduce the exact same fruit. To create the same fuit, you need to
create the same conditions. i.e.: Male "A" and Female "B" to create
Hybred "C". Hybred "C" and hybred "C" will not create more "C's".


Central IL small garden, but do my best!

email: daveallyn at bwsys dot net
please respond in this NG so others
can share your wisdom as well!