Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of corn
but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and mis-shapen,
and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of leaves and looks
most strange..



I've never seen this happen before and, out of interest, wondered if anyone
can tell me more about this peculiar ear. I believe the fluffy bits are,
generally, known as 'tassels', by the way, but this, to me, is no more
technical than fluffy bits!



I don't intend to eat it as it looks most unappetising and even spread with
butter its looks would not be improved!



Just out of interest does anyone know what this is?



Regards,



John

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2 Sep, 11:23, "John Vanini" wrote:
I don't intend to eat it as it looks most unappetising and even spread with
butter its looks would not be improved!

LOL!!

Just out of interest does anyone know what this is?

It happened to me many times - last year I'd left about 10 cobs,
looking just like the one you describe, to the 'beasts' visiting our
allotment. This year our corn is not really looking good and I suspect
we will have many tiny cobs - I blame all the rain and not enough
sunshine but also lack of feed. In my case I didn't give enough
nitrogen/potassium which the sweet corns benefit immensely from at the
flowering stages, I went on holidays for too long ... and too often
this year. Also I was late planting our corn this year, which didn't
help. Did you straight sow or in pots first and then transplanted? And
did you feed your sweet corns?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

"John Vanini" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of
corn but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and
mis-shapen, and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of
leaves and looks most strange..



I've never seen this happen before and, out of interest, wondered if
anyone can tell me more about this peculiar ear. I believe the fluffy bits
are, generally, known as 'tassels', by the way, but this, to me, is no
more technical than fluffy bits!

I suggest it's uneven pollination. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated, it was
probably wet at the time pollination had to take place which would stop the
pollen blowing from the tassels onto the immature seed.

Mary

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2 Sep, 11:58, Martin wrote:
Ours are perfect despite all the rain and lack of sun. The looked after feeding
themselves.

Amazing - how lucky you are. How big is your plot in the Netherlands?
I usually mulch lots with om and comfrey - but I've been so busy this
year. I'm wondering what type of soil you have to not bother given
them a helping hand. What did you grown on that plot before putting in
your corns?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2 Sep, 11:59, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
I suggest it's uneven pollination. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated, it was
probably wet at the time pollination had to take place which would stop the
pollen blowing from the tassels onto the immature seed.

Off course Mary! That rain ... must have dampened the tassels and made
polination almost impossible. That's why John found lots of 'ears'
without a developed or crooked corn. Do you feed yours or not?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

"John Vanini" wrote in message
I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of
corn but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and
mis-shapen, and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of
leaves and looks most strange..

Do you mean that the cob developed without leaves on the outside of the cob?
If so where did the tassel grow from?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

La Puce wrote:
:: On 2 Sep, 11:59, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
::: I suggest it's uneven pollination. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated, it
::: was probably wet at the time pollination had to take place which
::: would stop the pollen blowing from the tassels onto the immature
::: seed.
::
:: Off course Mary! That rain ... must have dampened the tassels and
:: made polination almost impossible. That's why John found lots of
:: 'ears' without a developed or crooked corn. Do you feed yours or not?

Had some more of ours yesterday and they are delicious although many are
only producing one cob instead of the usual two

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

Ah, no, all my cobs are fine - prpobably the best I've ever grown. This
strange thing is at the very top - where the pollination is done (the
plant's rude bits)

Sorry to hear about your crop not being so good and thanks for your reply.

Kindest regards,

John

"La Puce" wrote in message
ups.com...
On 2 Sep, 11:23, "John Vanini" wrote:
I don't intend to eat it as it looks most unappetising and even spread
with
butter its looks would not be improved!

LOL!!

Just out of interest does anyone know what this is?

It happened to me many times - last year I'd left about 10 cobs,
looking just like the one you describe, to the 'beasts' visiting our
allotment. This year our corn is not really looking good and I suspect
we will have many tiny cobs - I blame all the rain and not enough
sunshine but also lack of feed. In my case I didn't give enough
nitrogen/potassium which the sweet corns benefit immensely from at the
flowering stages, I went on holidays for too long ... and too often
this year. Also I was late planting our corn this year, which didn't
help. Did you straight sow or in pots first and then transplanted? And
did you feed your sweet corns?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

The tassels, as I've been told they're called, are those parts of the
sweetcorn at the very top where pollination is carried out. They are what
you see waving in the breeze, above the plant, long before the cobs form.

The cobs themselves are much lower down and this year are probably the
biggest and best I've ever grown!

It's just that the tassels normally look like they always did but a bit
bedraggled. This time one of them looks more like a deformed cob.

I've only done what I normally do excpet that I did give them one feed of
tomatoi fertiliser, which is what I saw in a gardening book.

John



"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
...
"John Vanini" wrote in message
I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of
corn but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and
mis-shapen, and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of
leaves and looks most strange..

Do you mean that the cob developed without leaves on the outside of the
cob? If so where did the tassel grow from?

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

No Robert,

Sorry but the ears or cobs are fine - a better crop than ever and the cobs
are bigger and better shaped than I've seen on my sweetcorn, ever before.

It's one of those tassles at the very top that has grown deformed or, then
again, has it? Is it that I have never noticed this before? Perhaps, they
all go like that in time.

I can't find any mention on the Internet or in books, however. It's not
important because the crop is fine, as I say, but it is just very
interesting and I'd love to find out what the strange 'ear' is!

Thanks again,

Regards,

John

"Robert (Plymouth)" remove my other
hobby to reply wrote in message
...
La Puce wrote:
:: On 2 Sep, 11:59, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
::: I suggest it's uneven pollination. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated, it
::: was probably wet at the time pollination had to take place which
::: would stop the pollen blowing from the tassels onto the immature
::: seed.
::
:: Off course Mary! That rain ... must have dampened the tassels and
:: made polination almost impossible. That's why John found lots of
:: 'ears' without a developed or crooked corn. Do you feed yours or not?

Had some more of ours yesterday and they are delicious although many are
only producing one cob instead of the usual two

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

Thanks to all who answered my post, by the way. There are far more than I
expected and I'm bound to miss someone out!

Regards,

John

"John Vanini" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of
corn but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and
mis-shapen, and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of
leaves and looks most strange.
snip

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

"John Vanini" wrote...
I've noticed that on my sweetcorn one of the top fluffy bits (sorry about
the technical language!) has developed into, what looks like, an ear of
corn but is much smaller, a bit sad looking, with kernals missing and
mis-shapen, and some dark in colour. It, obviously, has no sheath of
leaves and looks most strange..



I've never seen this happen before and, out of interest, wondered if
anyone can tell me more about this peculiar ear. I believe the fluffy bits
are, generally, known as 'tassels', by the way, but this, to me, is no
more technical than fluffy bits!



I don't intend to eat it as it looks most unappetising and even spread
with butter its looks would not be improved!



Just out of interest does anyone know what this is?

It happens.
All ours has been eaten by mice/rats, not one left and they were looking
good too.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2 Sep, 16:18, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
It happens.
All ours has been eaten by mice/rats, not one left and they were looking
good too.

Ever the philosopher hey Bob! Last year we had badgers scoffing the
lot, I'm convinced they were badgers - sounds more exotic than
rats ...! A friend brought hers indoor, in her kitchen about 1 month
ago - she's from India and I thought she was mad. Well, she's just
tasted her first cob - called it 'Wilson' because it looked like
'Wilson' in Casteway. I smiled, but I've no idea who's Wilson as I
don't watch soaps and stuff like that ... Maybe you know LOL!!

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2 Sep, 17:20, Martin wrote:
Amazing - how lucky you are. How big is your plot in the Netherlands?
100 square metres

gulp That's big.

I usually mulch lots with om and comfrey - but I've been so busy this
year. I'm wondering what type of soil you have to not bother given
them a helping hand.
Sand.
What did you grown on that plot before putting in
your corns?
Horse muck was dug in last year.

You grow horse poo - interesting. I suspect you've worked out your
sand amount and your organic manure. It's quite a job to have done
this on a 100sqm. And when I thought you were sitting behind a
computer all day ;o)

Sweetcorn and the Fluffy Bits
 

On 2/9/07 20:23, in article ,
"®óñ© © ²°¹°-°³" wrote:

On Sun, 02 Sep 2007 09:40:42 -0700, La Puce
wrote and included this (or some of this):

On 2 Sep, 17:20, Martin wrote:
Amazing - how lucky you are. How big is your plot in the Netherlands?
100 square metres

gulp That's big.

No it's not. It's 10 metres X 10 metres.


Now a 100 metres square, that's big.

That's 100 metres by 100 metres (10,000 square metres)

Nobody would call me a mathematician but surely what you're saying is what
the mistake is all about. "100 metres square" is what Martin has. "100
metres squareD" is scaringly largely, no? Yes?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'