Sweet Corn Harvest
When should I harvest or pick the corn? The appearance of the unhusked ears provide little information of the optimum time to harvest. Everyone has their way of telling if the corn is ready.
1. Some look at the silks as an indicator of when not to harvest, harvesting only when the silks are dry and brown.
2. Others use the “feel of the end of the cob” method, stating that it should feel rounded and not pointed.
3. My way is to open the tip of the ear of corn and pierce an ear. If the fluid secreted is milky, then I pull down an ear, give it a little twist and break it off. On the other hand, if the fluid is clear, it is a bit too early. Close the ear back up and recheck it in 2 to 3 days. The third thing I might see when I open the ear, are dented kernels. See the image below. Upon piercing a single kernel, one may see starching gunk or nothing comes out. All of which are a sure sign that we are too late!
The Orginal Red Dirt Gardener
Read More: Growing Container Corn or Pollination of Corn (Tassle & Silk)
Dented Corn