Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating all other edible garden plants.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old November 11, 2018   #1
Raiquee
Tomatovillian™
 
Raiquee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 307
Default Hand pollinating corn

Has anyone done it? I’d love to grow some of the rare heirloom
Sweet corn, but I’m surrounded by corn fields (typical Midwest) and the air is thick with stray pollen. I’ve had ok success with timing my corn, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Hand pollination looks like it’s not too hard, just looking for other people’s experience. Thanks.
__________________
Desire'
Mother of 3, homesteader, canner, gardener, dwarf tomato participant.
Raiquee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 11, 2018   #2
PhilaGardener
Tomatovillian™
 
PhilaGardener's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Near Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,940
Default

It's actually really easy, and the best way to get well-filled ears in a small patch, but it is hard to keep out stray pollen unless you bag your silks. Just wait until the tassels are shedding and then pick and shake-shake-shake!
PhilaGardener is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 11, 2018   #3
Raiquee
Tomatovillian™
 
Raiquee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 307
Default

Yeah I have good pollination as we are very windy and I plant in blocks. But that’s part of the problem, is that it will get crossed knowing my luck. I will have to bag silks and tassels. Which I don’t mind, just have never done it.

Looks like seed savers has the bags pretty affordably! I guess I’ll watch a YouTube video and give it a whirl next year!
__________________
Desire'
Mother of 3, homesteader, canner, gardener, dwarf tomato participant.
Raiquee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 11, 2018   #4
rhines81
Tomatovillian™
 
rhines81's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiquee View Post
Has anyone done it? I’d love to grow some of the rare heirloom
Sweet corn, but I’m surrounded by corn fields (typical Midwest) and the air is thick with stray pollen. I’ve had ok success with timing my corn, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Hand pollination looks like it’s not too hard, just looking for other people’s experience. Thanks.
Truthfully, wouldn't worry about it unless your crop is right next to theirs. 300 ft should be plenty of spacing unless it is directly down wind.
rhines81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 12, 2018   #5
Raiquee
Tomatovillian™
 
Raiquee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 307
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rhines81 View Post
Truthfully, wouldn't worry about it unless your crop is right next to theirs. 300 ft should be plenty of spacing unless it is directly down wind.
Well we live in a very windy micro climate and my sweet corn was late this year and tassled same time as the field corn. Was ruined. Not to mention I want to grow multiple varieties and I can’t even give them 100ft in my patch let alone 300. I’m going to do timing like I usually do, but for the rare types that I will give back to other people, I want to know for sure it’s true.
__________________
Desire'
Mother of 3, homesteader, canner, gardener, dwarf tomato participant.
Raiquee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 12, 2018   #6
carolyn137
Moderator Emeritus
 
carolyn137's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
Default

The following link should answer almost ALL of your questions about cross pollination and how to prevent it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...&bih=815&dpr=1

Carolyn
__________________
Carolyn
carolyn137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 15, 2018   #7
JRinPA
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 961
Default

I tried it this year but it was pain in the butt in blocks. If I was hand pollinating 100% I would do rows or double rows only for easier access. My second stand was fine this year, but the first was really dry and buggy when it tassled and the third was super wet. I'm not sure what I learned though, and that is a bad feeling.
JRinPA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 17, 2018   #8
Tormato
Tomatovillian™
 
Tormato's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,958
Default

It's very easy to do by hand. And, if doing entirely by hand there's no need for planting in blocks, unless it's to conserve garden space. I plant in single rows, which makes hand pollinating very easy.





Some years the plants don't tassel and silk at the same time (I've had one variety produce silks one month after tasseling). So, I freeze pollen until it's time to pollinate.


Also, if attempting to save OP corn, I think 100-200 plants are needed to keep a variety stable.
Tormato is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 17, 2018   #9
Raiquee
Tomatovillian™
 
Raiquee's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 307
Default

Thanks guys!! I was looking for insight on people here who have done it. I’ve watched enough videos. You make a great point about the rows vs block, sounds like it would be way easier.

I did read that, 200 plants I believe to keep the variety stable. Which...that’s a lot of seed! Haha. Gonna have to divide it year to year.

Thanks for the ideas guys.
__________________
Desire'
Mother of 3, homesteader, canner, gardener, dwarf tomato participant.
Raiquee is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:33 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★