How do I know when my sweet corn is done?

The silk has turned brown so I pulled one of the bigger ears, but it only had about four inches of developed kernals, the rest were imature. But it looks like some other ears are going bad. When is it time to pull them and call em done? Is there such a thing as waiting too long? Thanks!

It sounds to me like your ears of corn were not well pollenized. Did you plant your corn in at least rows of three. If you wait too long the problem is that the corn will be overripe and the kernels will lose flavor and be tough. I have grown corn all my life and usually just feel of the corn ear to see if it is ready, feels full and solid to the top. Sometimes if I am not sure I peel the husk down just enough to see how it looks. But that is not a good idea here as the birds find the opening and then of course start eating the corn. Some types of corn do not have as good husks as others for protection from birds. Hope i didn't confuse you.

Donna

Donna,
I don't think it was a pollenization problem. I planted a patch of about 80 plants in six rows, plants about 14" apart. I even rubbed the pollen from plant to plant. This is the first year so I don't know if maybe the soil isn't rich enough yet. I just don't want to pull them too soon if they are going to grow more. But all the ears feel small in the husks, so I think they still need time. Not sure about any of this. Just kinda winging it. First time corn grower. I need to find an indian.

It does not sound like a pollenization problem. If it were, you would have grains scattered a round on the cob. If you had 4 inches of developed corn, how much was left over. Were these immature kernals, or just blank cob. While corn does develop from the stalk to the silk end, There is rarely much difference in maturity. They pretty much all reach the edible milk stage at about the same time. If that 4 inches that you mentioned is in full milk stage, firm and emit a thick mily substance when pierced with a fingernail, that is all you are going to get. The kernals will quickly get hard and chewy. What cultivar did you plant? Corn is a heavy feeder and will come up short with too few nutrients or too little water. Use to call those short ears nubbins, had quite afew in the days of horse drawn implements.

I grew corn for the first time recently--looked absolutely beautiful and was supposed to be one of the best sweet varieties. Finally decided it was ripe and it was the most starchiest, unedible corn imaginable. Guess it would be called field corn though I can't imagine some poor cow liking my corn.

Nobody grows corn around here so it wasn't cross pollinated- can't figure out what went wrong. Lack of some nutrient perhaps???

Hope you have better luck with your corn.

Most likely, you waited too long to pick it. Sweet corn is eaten in its immature stage, and even the supersweets have a relatively short harvest window. OP's can be be as short as two days.

21 days from the time that the silks first appear is my guideline...sometimes a few days before...sometimes a few days after. This gets you in the window of a proper harvest.

Much longer than that, and you get just what you described....got some just like it this year...a friend brought me a whole bunch of Ambrosia...absolutely useless...except for cattle food.

farmerdill and melody, thanks for the tips about overripe corn. I may have to give it another try and pay more attention to the silks and number of days, etc.

Ahh. That makes since. I had a suspician that I may have waited too long. Thanks all for your imput, much appreciated. I wrote a little about this in another thread, when harvesting what did grow I saw in detail just how bad the aphid infestation is. Boy do they love the corn plants. I gotta figure something out for next year. Each ear is just covered in aphids, and also ants who are farming from them.