[Kleftiwallah]

Does a pollen grain have to land on EACH of the 'silks' to get a fully mature and well stocked cob?

(If pollen misses a silk, will the kernal develope fully).
Cheers,   Tony.

[JayG]

Each ovary is connected to its own individual silk strand, and each one will develop into a single kernel if the strand manages to collect a pollen grain (it's reckoned each plant produces between 6 and 25 million pollen grains, although obviously there can be considerable wastage, especially in wet or windy conditions.)

If all the pollen misses all the silks, then no kernels, but I can't bring myself to even think about that!     

[surbie100]

If all the pollen misses all the silks, then no kernels

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[mumofstig]

Each ovary is connected to its own individual silk strand, and each one will develop into a single kernel if the strand manages to collect a pollen grain

That's why, so far, each of the sweetcorn I've eaten has only been a partcob. The top third hadn't been pollinated because it was wet and windy just when it needed to be dry 

That's why I warned, on another thread, that you shouldn't count your cobs until you know they've been pollinated 

[JayG]

Most of mine have got 2 cobs on, some 3, which is the best state of affairs in mid/late August for several years, although it's still too early to discover what the pollination success rate has been for mine oop norf ere! 

[surbie100]

Mine have 2 or 3 on too. I've never grown it before and am getting quite giddy with anticipation. 

Took your advice and took off the top leaves to give easier access to the silks, and I've only got one mutant that is part tassel/part cob.

[RJR_38]

I've finished all my sweetcorn now - mine were all ready last week. 12 plants:

2 plants - died in early stages
6 plants - eaten by deer in final stages
4 plants - 8 cobs and only one which wasn't fully pollinated.

This too was my first year so quite pleased overall. I shall of course be employing deer protection for next year!

[seaside]

If one taps a plant mid morning, in the sunlight, one can see a milky way of pollen swimming in the air. JayG is right, there's millions of them. These pollen also then hang around on the leaves and blow around as and when. Always handy to have a few stragglers in your block that extend the pollination period as many silks are a bit late out of bed. So far the winds have been kind here, blowing both West and East, and not too strongly, giving all my plants a bit of a chance. I reckon the weather has been quite good so far pollinating-wise, and would expect a good 90% pollination, Pests are the unknown quantity.

[Kleftiwallah]

Each ovary is connected to its own individual silk strand, and each one will develop into a single kernel if the strand manages to collect a pollen grain

That's why, so far, each of the sweetcorn I've eaten has only been a partcob. The top third hadn't been pollinated because it was wet and windy just when it needed to be dry 

That's why I warned, on another thread, that you shouldn't count your cobs until you know they've been pollinated 

Thanks for all those interesting replies,  My sixpennorth - the silks from the upper part of the cob may be hidden within the centre of the 'fly swatter' of silks, that MAY be while there are not many cobs kernalled up to the end.

Wadja think?   Cheers,   Tony.

[JayG]

It's got to be something along those lines Klefti - even supermarket cobs usually have at least a few unpollinated kernels at the top end.

[Kristen]

The ones I grown in the greenhouse need hand pollination - just a nudge of the plant to dislodge the cloud of pollen, but I then have to "steer" the plant so that the silks are in the falling zone ...

Outside I plant successively in the direction of the prevailing wind - in the forlorn hope that later growers may pollinate earlier plants, particularly any later cobs they develop.

[JayG]

Good to see you back on here Kristen! 

For the last few years I've tried the successional planting just as you describe, but given the past two year's weather (especially the last one where even the first sowing nearly ran out of summer) I decided not to bother this year..................

[Goosegirl]

The ones I grown in the greenhouse need hand pollination - just a nudge of the plant to dislodge the cloud of pollen, but I then have to "steer" the plant so that the silks are in the falling zone ...

Kristen - you're the first person I've seen on here that has tried growing corn on the g'house! Last year was my first time and a great success and, yes, the clouds of pollen go all over the place so I didn't steer the plant to receive it. This year, I'm still waiting for the silks to go brown, then I'll get the pan on! 

[Kristen]

My justification went something like this:

The kids eat sweetcorn.  Sweetcorn is "required" during the summer holls.  Early harvest needs a greenhouse crop.

I grow the whole length of the greenhouse (3 rows x 30'), and then follow-on with Aubergine and Peppers that I have been bringing on in pots.  Melons are planted next the glass - they are planted before the corn is too big and then have to make-do until the corn is harvested - which I guess is completed by end July?

Haven't done it this year as we are having a no-entertaining season because we have builders in, no proper kitchen, and plants piled up on the terrace which we would use for BBQs ... so as the build means we have less time to garden this season we decided to grow a lot less veg this year.  Thus that side of the greenhouse has 100's of Box cuttings coming on for planting out in some sort of Parterre - design as yet to be decided - maybe a knot-garden ... and back to vegetables next year