Most homeowners wait patiently for their first taste of home-grown corn on the cob. Sweet corn is one of the most desirable garden vegetables which is why so many different varieties are available through seed catalogues. These conditions favour the growth of fungi which can rapidly rot the seed. Ensure the seed is fungicide-treated if planting into cool soils. More simply, plant dry seeds and water thoroughly. - plant corn in a square or block pattern rather than in long, thin rows.
Corn is wind-pollinated, and square planting patterns result in greater pollination.
A minimum of 100 plants in a block is suggested for optimum pollination. Missing kernels in a corn cob are an indication of poor pollination. Each silk thread is attached to a kernel. If no pollen falls onto the silk, no kernel will form. Shaking the plants when the pollen is being shed can help increase pollination.