A Gardeners Forum
Posted By: freestacy01 Cutting off the corn tassel - August 11th, 2005 at 10:11 PM
Hi,
Irecently read if you cut of the tassel (flower) on the top of your corn plant the corn it self will get bigger and better. Has anyone else read about this?
Posted By: The Plant Doc Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 12th, 2005 at 06:39 PM
I never heard of this myself but I would be very careful about doing that too early. The tassel is the flower for the plant, and I would have to think that the flower is needed for pollinization in order to grow the fruit.
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 12th, 2005 at 09:46 PM
That's what I was thinkin' too!!!!
Posted By: freestacy01 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 01:49 AM
Thanks for the response. I had never heard this either just read it on a corn growing web site. I'm still new at growing corn, so I really appreciate the information!
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 02:02 AM
Could you tell use pretty much what they said?
I would be very interested in their reasoning
behind this??

When one grows corn, you need that top tassle
to produce stuff *Can't remember what the darn things' called right this second, brain~drain*
but that stuff needs to fall down onto each
piece of tassle growing out of the actual ear of corn......
Each one is attached inside the husk to the kernal, and if it doesn't get touched by some of
that stuff, it will never produce..
So, hence it has to be there..
Posted By: freestacy01 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 02:10 AM
It said to cut the flower off the top after it starts to turn brown and it would then feed all of the growing energy to the corn making it bigger and better. I will try and find the article again on send you the web site name so you can also read it for your self if you would like. wink
Posted By: freestacy01 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 02:17 AM
I did find it and it does say after the tassel had pollinated the corn and you can feel the corn growing, is when you remove it.
web address: organicdownunder.com/growing_sweet_corn.htm
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 02:19 AM
Yes, wouldn't mind reading it at all..
My email address is on the bottom of my post,
or PM me.. thumbup
Posted By: The Plant Doc Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 10:24 AM
If that is the reasoning, it would make little to no difference to the growth of the corn as there is no energy being directed away from the growth of the fruit. The tassel is already dead if it is turning brown. It also opens a door for diseases to be vectored in through. I would not bother doing it myself.
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Cutting off the corn tassel - August 13th, 2005 at 10:33 AM
Yep, I was wonderin' the same thing..
If the silk is dead/brown...then it's already
done I thought... Duh

I don't/ or wouldn't do it because
half the reason we grow corn is for the stalks
at Fall/Halloween time..
and a corn stalk without the top,
"It just ain't right" wink laugh
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