What happened to my corn?

Question: Hi, my concern started producing before it reached its normal height. Additionally, the fruit (ears) seemed to have accelerated maturity but never fully developed.  My soil is good and had added some.blood meal and garden tone when I planted them.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 21, 2024, 2:42 PM EDT
response: Hi,  We would suggest a soil test to determine if the soil is lacking any nutrients. We have noticed some striping on the leaves that could be indicative of a micro nutrient deficiency even though it sounds like the nitrogen content is adequate.  Do you know what variety you planted? The striping could be specific to variety.  We are unsure why the plants seem stunted and not producing but we are leaning towards a nutrient problem or from the high heat and drought conditions this summer.  We've asked our vegetable expert to weigh in and will respond if he has additional comments or suggestions.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 21, 2024, 3:38 PM EDT
response: Hi, thank you.  This is a sweet corn variety. I planted them late than most around beginning of July.  This is how they looked at the 21st of July.  On Wed, Aug 21, 2024, 2:42 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 22, 2024, 9:26 AM EDT
response: Thank you for the additional information and photo. Our vegetable specialist said that the ears probably need more time to develop. The very earliest-ripening sweet corn varieties are ready to harvest in 60+ days after seeding. If you planted in early July, then the ears would not be harvestable until early September. (Granted, the warmer summer air and soil temperatures might accelerate growth and ripening a little bit, but they don't seem to be ready now if the ears don't seem to be fully developed yet.)  The striped foliage symptom suggests that inadequate nutrients and water were probably a factor in reduced growth of the plants overall. The soil test Emily mentioned will help reveal if any particular micronutrients (those that are used by plants in smaller amounts, but still as vital as major nutrients) are deficient in the soil.  In the photo of the transplants, several individuals appear to be double-planted (growing side-by-side, as if two seedlings were started in the same pot and not thinned-out). If that's the case, next year it would be best to remove one of the pair (or only sow one seed per pot) so only a single plant is growing per planting location, which will reduce competition for resources.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 23, 2024, 6:56 PM EDT
response: Hi Miri, to make things a little more interesting some of the corn is actually growing normally in my opinion.  And, I double planted seeds in the same hole with then as well and they look like they are doing better than the other ones.   Does this help the assessment?RegardsMichael On Thu, Aug 22, 2024, 9:26 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 26, 2024, 9:06 AM EDT
response: It's hard to say what was responsible for the stunting (if they are all the same cultivar), though the normal-height plants also don't seem to have the suspected nutrient deficiency symptoms in the foliage, so that might be a contributing factor.  Miri