How many ears grow on a corn stalk?

Answer 1

Typically around July, the tassel on top of the corn plant fertilizes the silks (those stringy things when you husk sweet corn) on the ear of corn. After the pollen gets on the end of the silk, it travels down into the ear where it pollinates the kernel. Each kernel has its own silk. After fertilization, the ear starts forming. Pollination is dependent on when you plant and the temperature outside. So when you see the tassel at the top open up, the ear will start forming in the coming weeks.

Answer 2

Generally speaking, modern corn grows only one year in a season. This is due to large amounts of biological evolution, with the hopes of growing one high quality ear as opposed to several very low quality ears. There are the occasional stalk that will grow 2 ears, but with the modern strain of corn, this is considered a genetic defect. Some varieties of sweet corn will grow three or four ears. There is also a variety of sweet corn that has been known to grow 6 ears. The greater yield from the sweet corn is due to the shorter growing season and the smaller size of ears on the sweet corn, with the 6 ear plant giving the smallest ears.

Answer 3

I have some truckers favorite, anywhere from 2 to 3 on average, but some even have 4!

Answer 4

Typically only one, but there can be one or two more smaller, undeveloped ones lower on the stalk. The top one is usually the only one harvested.

Answer 5

Two

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

1