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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jun 24, 2010 13:55:54 GMT -5
So, all the corn 'needs' is the silks and not any tassels, right? So does the silks 'pick up' the pollen from the wind, or do you take a brush and brush the pollen on each one? I am thinking they would have too, otherwise how would each corn cob get pollenated. I had been told, when I have had a corn cob not fully developed, that it was because not all the Kernals were pollenated, that only the full kernals were pollenated. Was I told wrong? Normally my corn is wind pollinated... So if I plant one long row it doesn't get pollinated very well, so only some of the kernels develop properly... If I plant in blocks (multiple short rows) then it normally all gets pollinated well. If I plant commercial sugary enhanced corn too early in the season it comes up sporadically, and if the plants are spaced far apart (like four to six feet) they don't get pollinated properly so I either transplant them closer together, or just till under the patch and start again. My big oops this year on my sweet corn breeding project is that I planted some mother plants (that I had intended to be de-tasseled) on the same day as I planted the sugary enhanced pollen donors... Trouble is, only one in 10 of the donors germinated, so now I am wondering if I will have to hand pollinate. Regards, Joseph |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Jun 24, 2010 14:02:21 GMT -5
You can castrate corn as long as there are other plants nearby to pollinate. Assuming you planted in a block, you probably will be fine, as the wind/bees will knock enough pollen around to get every silk some pollen. If you have rows, and three or less at that, then it might be a good idea to hand pollinate. But, otherwise i find just going along and giving each stalk a good shake spreads plenty of pollen around. Just be sure to shake them when the wind is not blowing, otherwise your pollen may just fall on nearby dirt.
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Post by johno on Jun 24, 2010 16:35:36 GMT -5
Each silk pollinates one kernal. You can collect a dish of pollen and dip the silks if you want.
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Post by WesTex on Jul 11, 2010 17:50:35 GMT -5
Took me a while to get down hand pollinating corn. It's a bit labor intensive if you have a large plot. Plus after about 11am, the pollen in the tassel bags decreases in quality because of the heat. So....in essence I end up bagging and pollinating with the tassels for a few days. The corn silks over a period of days and the tassels shed over a period of days. Also, i've found putting a plastic house over blocks is effective, but when you're growing 12ft+ corn, this is a little...difficult. I use the method shown in the Seed to Seed book and a ladder.
Another benefit of tearing off the leaf around the cob and bagging your cobs (even if you're not saving for seed) is that it helps keep out corn borers. If i'm not saving seed, I still wait for the silks to receive pollen for a few days and then remove the exterior leaf and 'bag' the cob with a knee high and a clothes pin. Keeps the borers and everything else off and stretches as the cob grows.
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