A Note on Reading the Manual...

These are some of my less aesthetic corns. My mistake? Planting in a single row. My reasoning? I was just trying to fill space along the side of a hoophouse.

For corn, it's best for there to be two or more rows for adequate pollination. The little tufts that stand high above the plant are tickled by bees and other pollinators, and the pollen falls down onto the silk of the corn.

Every single silk is representative of a kernel within the husk!

If every single silk is not touched with pollen, you get incomplete fertilization. So, the more pollen-producing tassels, the better.

This was my first year growing corn (I'm not that big of a corn person), and I didn't think to actually read about how to grow corn. I just did it.

Given that it was only a single row, I'm surprised I got as much corn as I did! Learn from my mistake, not just for corn but for all varieties of crops. Do your reading! 😅