has any1 ever seen this?

OK so I planted corn in March & about a month or six weeks ago it stopped growing. I posted & every1 said just give it time. Well they never grew over 16" tall so this morning I pulled the stalks & this is what I found. The cobs & kernels on almost all the stalks are perfectly formed. The husks are perfect & they're all wrapped up tight like big ears of corn but they're smaller than a AA battery. If they were so well formed why would they stop growing? Any ideas on what I did wrong? I'd like to avoid this next time.

Variety?

Early sunglow or sugar dot hybrid

Looks like that mini corn that is served in Chinese dishes.

I think I would test the soil for fertilizers, see if it is missing something.

Where did you get the seed. Was it bulk in a bin. Looks like mini corn to me.

Walmart. I got 2 seed packets. 1 was early sunflower & the other sugar dots. I looked up both seeds for info & they should b full 7-8" ears but.... & yes they do look like baby corn.

You have me I have been growing corn for 50 some years and never seen that.

Concur, I have grown a few nubbins in my time but nothing like that. Sunglo is small but but one of the more dependable varieties that I have grown. Sugar Dots is nromal size and has been very dependable for me. I have not had much production from extra earlies. Grew Spring Snow this year and it was not not worth picking. Bigger than your photos tho.

I have found W-Mart's seeds to be a hit-or-miss.

I wish I was your neighbor!!! I love those mini corns, eat it raw , mix with salads but best eaten raw.

I was a visiting nurse years ago and the lady had a farm. She gave me a lot of the baby corn and they are out of this world.

Belle

OK. Well I went & got new seeds at home depot. They seem like a better brand. Thanks for all ur advice!! Happy 4th!!

Did you transplant? If they were too big when you transplanted then they may have been root bound. Or it could have been shock induced. I had some corn plants that did that this year but I also transplanted them in february ( I know tooooo early, but they did survive the cold temps). But they were severely shocked by the cold causing the dwarfing. I still saved them to see if the kernel would seed. ALso if there are a lot of pill and sow bugs the they may have feasted on the seedlings roots before they got big and healthy and caused shock.

Where is the tassel of the stalk? Am seeing so many stalks that look like the tassel has been trimmed off or didnt develop. The color of the stalk is decent, fertilizer is about right but prob needed a higher nitrogen, but corn should have been planted by March to get the fullest development before the heat got too high...

Munchkin variety...?

It didn't develop properly, and it seems to be a packaged small amounts type. It also won't develop without the tassels to fertilize the silks, so apparently it thinks its waiting for a 2nd harvest period.

Not miniature variety. & the husks were rite on top. When I opened the outside leaves the husks were all around the cobs just like in big ears. & no I didn't transplant. The seeds went straight in the ground. They were perfect other than the tiny size. & I double checked the packets. I planted 1/2 sugar dots & 1/2 silver queen. Both packets said 7-8" ears would develop. I fertilize weekly & at this point everything else was growing well. Its a mystery 2 me. I'm trying again tho. So we'll see!

silks are in the little cobs, the tiny hairs are the umbilical cord to trap the pollen from the tassels that crown each stalk of corn, Each silk is connected to one kernal of corn, so each must be fertilized to plump up the kernal. Husks are the ears wrappers, just a wrapper. Once the tassel has fertilized the silks, they start to brown. Was every stalk without a tassel on it?

Actually almost all the stalks had the tassle. All were at the bottom of the stalk rite by the little ears. I thought they were husks growing on the stalk then dying until I read kittriana's post. I think all but 3 or 4 had the tassles on them.

Tassels crown the stalks.. Shouldnt be by the ears- you didnt by any chance take a picture of them that way?

Yes but I only have 2 pics. 1 is a close up of the bottom of the stalk where both the little ears & the tassels above the ears were & the other is a shot of all my little corn plants together & u can see the tassels on some of them also.

Ouch. i borrowed a Missouri farmers field. corn is not as consistent a grower as ssome like. pic 2&3, tassels. pic 4&5 immature ears as the silk grows out

As the silks are fertilzed they turn from green, white to red to brown- since Missouri cornn is nowhere near to maturity yet, i didnt get pix of the silks turning brown. Your corn has arrested maturity- too little sun, too much water,

OK. I.m planning my fall garden now so I.ll rethink the corn location & watering schedule. Thanks guys.

Am seeing silver queen and Florida Staysweet as good sweet corns for your area. Steady water is good, but drainage is essential, I also see fertilizer req'ments of anything from 16-16-8 to 12-12-12, if you use a lower fertilizer, abt the time you get 6 to 8 leaves side dress nitrogen with at least an 11-0-0. Fl is lucky- you can get 3 crops of corn, but there is a period of time when temps have to hit a steady hot period or germination wont happen. Let us know how you do, and -umm, dont mix stuff like popcorn, dent and sweet corn or that will mess up your yields too! Good planting wishes for you!