[Kristen]

First of my Sweetcorn (Swift F1) in the greenhouse started shedding pollen yesterday. Absolutely no sign of the silks, or anything resembling a female in the leaf axils.

There are half a dozen more plant with male "flowers" clearly visible at the top, but absolutely no sign of anything developing in the leaf axils.

Anyone come across this before? I'm getting worried I as I have a further batch in the greenhouse and a large number outdoors, all from the same seed ...

I've grown Swift F1 for the last two years (and in the same way / timings), but seed was from a different supplier.

[JayG]

I've grown Swift outdoors for the last 3 years and they certainly do cut it fine when it comes to producing the female silks (which is the main reason I decided to try and grow them with an timing overlap this year to try and improve the overall pollination.)

Don't know whether growing them in a greenhouse makes the problem worse or not though.

[SnooziSuzi]

I've also grown Swift in previous years and didn't get terribly good pollination from them, and coupled with the poor summer weather we've had for the last 3 years it was a waste of time.

This year I've switched to Lark (I think it's called) because a lotty neighbour grew it very sucessfully last year with nothing more than a regular drink of seaweed fertiliser.  here's hoping...

[Kristen]

I've grown Swift outdoors for the last 3 years and they certainly do cut it fine when it comes to producing the female silks

Indeed! I noted last year (on 16-Jun, so they are earlier this year)  "Pollen being shed by the first batch of Sweetcorn in the greenhouse - but no silks yet on the cobs ..." and then on 18-Jun "nature is amazing isn't it?! Little cob-lets and their Silks appears today. I "tipped" some pollen, shed onto the leaves, onto the silks", but this time there is absolutely nothing in the leaf joint where the Cob should be

Don't know whether growing them in a greenhouse makes the problem worse or not though.

Third or fourth year of growing them in the greenhouse, not had a problem before (not that that means anything of course!)

[Trillium]

I know it doesn't help with the current problem, but has anyone considered growing a more reliable variety than Swift? From all the problems I've read about it, I wouldn't waste time on Swift.

[Kristen]

Yes, good point.

I've been very happy with Swift ... but less so year-by-year in the last three years. I wonder if less attention is paid to the breeding once new varieties become popular and no longer "new" ?

Germination has become less, and last year a lot of seedlings were "albino" and just died as seedlings. Germination has been "OK" this year, but the plants have not been as robust as in previous years (although since planting out in the greenhouse they have taken on a nice dark green, and got their skates on!)

I've got some seed left from last year, from a different supplier, which I will sow now to have some in case this year's batch is definitely duff ...

[Kristen]

Tonight there is a hint of a growth in the leaf axil of the first pollen-shedding plant, so they are probably going to be OK.  But that plant has been shedding pollen for a couple of days already (its neighbours will do the job if it stops before the silks are ready).

Hopefully that plant was stressed, and the rest will be OK ...

[mumofstig]

I first noticed this last year. So I have planted a few plants that were sown a few weeks later, on the side of the prevailing wind, to help with late pollination.
*says she hopefully*

[realfood]

I have grown Swift for a few years now and find it very reliable especially for the North. Usually get two ripe full cobs per plant.

[Kristen]

I'll be interested to see how this one does.  It was no bigger than a pimple with the silks already protruding ... maybe if it gets well pollinated it will grow to a reasonable size, but I seem to remember that previously the cobs have grown at least a BIT before the Tassels and Silks appeared ...

This is the first to "flower", and it was the largest one when planting out, so perhaps it was just stressed from being "too large" in its paper pot, in which the rest will be Just Fine <FingersCrossed>

[mumofstig]

for you

[Kristen]

The cob is growing reasonably well ... dunno if it will make a decent size, but hopefully so. The plant is a bit short (not quite chest-height, usually they get to about shoulder height from memory).

[SnooziSuzi]

some varieties don't grow very tall so that it's not at the expense of the cobs.  I think when I grew Swift it didn't get beyond 4 feet tall but bad pollination and poor weather meant I didn't really get anything off them that year

[PennyS]

Ah no, not what I wanted to hear! 

I grew a "heritage" variety last year and it was just too late to get going properly, so this year resorted to Swift thinking it would be reliable....
 

[Snoop]

I know it doesn't help with the current problem, but has anyone considered growing a more reliable variety than Swift? From all the problems I've read about it, I wouldn't waste time on Swift.

I'm no expert on sweetcorn but for what it's worth, I grew Lark one year and then went over to Swift for a couple of years after reading all the positive comments about it. However, I was disappointed with Swift (pollination not great and cobs not as good as I expected) and have now gone back to Lark.