Should the suckers, or side shoots, which emerge near the ground level on sweet corn be removed?
A. This is not necessary although experienced gardeners feel removal of the suckers will result in larger, high-quality ears. The suckers should be snapped off while they are small. 3. Q. How long does it take for most sweet corn varieties to produce edible ears? A. Most sweet corn varieties on the market today will mature between 60 to 90 days after seeding. Maturity rate will vary greatly from year to year and from season to season depending on temperatures. 4. Q. Why are ears of corn underdeveloped at the tip end? A. This is common not only in gardens, but also in large commercial planting. Several explanations have been suggested as the cause including nutrient deficiency, loss of foliage because of disease with correspondingly lower food manufacturing capacity, cool temperatures during ear maturity and low moisture. Corn is cross-pollinated by wind-blown pollen from the male flowers or tassels at the top of the plant to the female flowers or silks about midway up the stalks. Each
