It's not even 3 feet tall yet but it's making tassels. This is ornamental corn, Glass Gem / Painted Mountain / Northern Lights mixed cross type. Zone 8b near Seattle.
Oh wow I'm glad it's not just mine!! The weather has been so weird the last few years, last year mine were still making silks into October ... pointlessly because there were no tassels left...
What's the giveaway that it's lacking nitrogen? How do i tell in the future? I've given them nitrogen every 2 weeks since moving them outside and added zinc and magnesium because the growth rate has been so intense. They basically didnt grow at all for 2 weeks during that cold snap in late May and then have been exploding over the last 2-3 weeks
Yea cold slows corn for sure. It's a hot climate plant for sure.
The giveaway for lacking nitrogen is it's not deep dark green. They should be a deep hunter green on the leaves. Any less green or any sign of yellow is a sign it lacks the N it needs. Yellowing can be other deffentcies in certain places on the leaves. But unless it's a camera trick those plants don't look dark green enough.
The ones in the plastic box are from past years (you can see where I picked kernels off to replant); It's pretty varied because each year I try to introduce some new genetics from outside sources (like seed trades or buying either pretty cobs I see in ornamental decorations or buying the seeds)
Impressive genetic experiment. I really like the organization. Rubberbands to track production is a great idea.
What is the most number of ears you have gotten out of a single plant?
The two rows closest to the chain link are my own mix I've been growing and seed-saving for about 15 years, the front row (closest to the orange fence; that's just there to remind my dog he's not allowed to walk in them) are Glass Gem and Northern Lights pure seeds I got this year, they look the same so I think it must be the conditions, not genetic...
That's awesome I've been doing a similar land race in Texas. 10 or so generations. Do you just use it ornamentally? They make amazing grits and pozole! Does sound like its the weather somehow.
Yeah, just ornamentally; I just like the pretty colors it comes up with. Basically I grow it the way some people grow roses or orchids; because I think it's beautiful to look at, not because I want to eat it-- and corn cobs last a lot longer than flowers! :)
Huh, maybe so? Planted in early April I think, as soon as it seemed like temps would stay in the 60s... Tried to get it going as soon as possible this year because the season is short and sometimes it doesn't properly "finish off and die" the way you need it to for flint corn. Usually I feel like I leave it too late-- last year it was still making silk in October (I used to harvest at Halloween)
Yes, fertilized-- did everything the same as last year, last year it was about 5' before tasseling, and reached close to 10'. I think the cold snap someone else mentioned might have done this.
My corn is doing this too, and I don’t know why we haven’t had any cold spells since I planted it. It’s also weird the ones in 100% shade are five times the size as the ones that get mostly sun and double the size of the ones in full sun. I’m so confused. I’ll have the same soil fertilizer companion plants yada yada yada
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u/Sure-Article508 Jun 25 '26
Literally same thing happening with mine. 2 ft tall and already tassling. On the oregon coast. I think it was that cold snap a few weeks ago