Organic Gardening will upgrade its login and registration system on
December 11. The new system is needed to support some of the major site
enhancements that we are currently developing. The new system is shared with
other Rodale sites, including Prevention, Men's Health, Runner's World and Women's Health.
Click here for answers to the most frequently
asked questions related to the new system.
How do you know when corn is ready to pick? :| The ears are long and the tassels are brown, but the kernels are small and not very milky. I live in zone 4 and planted them in early June.
Pick sweet corn when husks are green and silk is dry brown. Some causes of what you describe may be dry weather during silking, planting too close, poor pollination due to too few rows in a block or poor fertility. I had the same problem this season because of too much rain during silking and washing away the pollen. I had 4 25' rows @ 12" and harvested less than 24 good ears.
If kernels aren't developed it obviously won't hurt to wait and see if they develop further.
Pull back the shuck a bit and punch your thumbnail into one of the top kernels. If the liquid that leaks out is milky, then they're good to pick. If the liquid is clear, rewrap the tip of the cob and wait a few more days.
