Each corn plant has the potential to form from six to ten ears, although only one or two actually develop. However, only 400 to 600 actually form on typical Wisconsin hybrids. A pollen grain must land on an individual silk if fertilization of the ovule is to occur. A pollen grain can land anywhere on the length of the silk. Once this happens, a pollen tube begins to grow inside the silk and fertilization of the ovule takes place within 24 hours.
Silks are only receptive to pollen for about ten days after emergence from the husk.