How to Fertilize Sweet Corn Tasseling

Growing sweet corn (Zea mays) can be a tricky proposition for the home gardener. The plant is wind pollinated from male flowers, called tassels, at the top of the plant to the silk extending from the ears of corn, the female flowers. Each strand of silk extends from a potential kernel, but won't develop unless pollinated. When you plant in traditional rows, the pollen can drift right past the waiting ears, leaving you with a sparse harvest. Fertilize manually with the tassel to be guaranteed full ears, even in single rows or small plantings.

Hand pruners

Instructions

- 1
  Look for small anthers to emerge from the tassels at the top of the corn. The tassels open from the center of the spike, with the bottom of the tassel opening last.
- 2
  Wait for the silk to extend from the top of the ears. This happens about three days after the tassels open. The silk is only receptive to pollen from the tassels for 10 days after it emerges. Fertilization is most successful in the first four to five days after silk starts to show.
- 3
  Clip a few tassels away with pruners when you have both open tassels and can see silk on the ears. Tassels release the most pollen in the morning. Excessively wet or dry conditions can inhibit pollen.
- 4
  Shake the tassels over the silk on each ear on your corn plants or rub them against the silk. You should be able to see the grains of pollen release from the tassels.
- 5
  Pull on the silk after several days. It should pull away easily if you successfully pollinated your corn. .

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