One thing that struck me about this article, versus typical gardening advice, is how the botany is much more accurate. My corn isn't showing any ears yet, but if I dissected a plant I'd find tiny ones behind each leaf. Until the top one or two grow larger and send out silks, they can't be pollinated. Ideally, I should have begun watering after the 5th leafs formed. I don't think the plants were too stressed so they'll probably still make their crop. Tassels are those things on top producing pollen. If you read through the article to the end, it explains what causes unfilled rows.

oldroser, I never said corn was not wind pollinated. I was only stating that the tip of corn cobs where the kernels are undeveloped is more often a result of lack of sufficient watering thru to the end of cob development rather than lack of pollination. Lack of pollination results in cobs that would look like this: *wink* Severe heat and moisture stress during the first seven to ten days after pollination will cause kernels at the tip of the ear to abort. shellva will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not there are enough stalks close enough together before taking any out.

I'm no corn expert and have had good years and bad years. In 2004 and 2005 I had some really good years (didn't plant corn last year). I'm spacing at 30 inch centers and planting 3 24 foot rows. In 2004 I ended up with 2 ears on every and I mean every plant. I grew Argent (a silver queen hybrid), golden jubilee (standard yellow corn) and Fleet (early bi-color). I had 3 blocks of about 8-10 plants per row. I took some care to hand-pollenate. There were no plants with a third ear, although some of the side-shoots did produce a weird ear/tassle combo that never resulted in a harvestable ear. In 2005 I decided to plant six varieties in the same space. That didn't work out as well, but most did produce 2 ears. I planted the varieties above as well as Country Gentleman, Stowell's Evergreen and another that I forget. This year I'm just planting one block of 10x3 plants (8 feet long) and another block of 20x3 plants (16 feet long). I just planted a couple of weeks ago, and am quite late; hoping for a good harvest. I have 5/8" soaker hoses running along my rows and these come on for 10 minutes at a time, 4 times a day. Wayne

Last week my late corn took a beating very similar in your pics and I figured that it's either early morning squirrels or late nite raccoons. I surrounded my plot with nylon netting but the varments were still getting into the corn chewing thru the nets and eating the pre-ripened ears like peeling bananas. I was wrong on both varment counts. I placed a large hav-a-hart trap in the middle of the corn plot (with ear inside) and the next morning I had a skunk in the trap with an ear eaten to the bone. I knew that skunks were stealing my grapes but apparently they love Ambrosia sweet corn too.