Being wind-pollinated corn does better in blocks than in rows. Your 60-70 square feet of corn would be more likely to pollinate well in an 8x8 square than in the long rows.

One thing that's helped for me when planting corn hills to fill 10x10 blocks has been going out every day during tassling time to shake the stalks. The ones I did that for bore better than the ones I couldn't shake because I was away at the time.

Yea i originally wanted to do a big block but I figured if I put a 1 1/2 ft gap to walk between the two i could get to all of them. because on one side of the block theres a large privacy fence that I can't get around.

Unless you are doing midget corn, three rows is plenty in an area 4.5ft wide. In each of those rows space the plants about 8-12 inches apart. Also I don't understand transplanting corn. It does better planted in place and is way less work.

Shaking the stalks is good exercise and nothing more. I've been growing sweetcorn 50+ years. My ears are 100% filled almost without fail. I've never shaken one stalk or pollinated by hand. It's a waste of time.

Cool well it will be a lot easier to do the 2 rows I already have made and I tried to grow some indoors and I planted like 75 plants in some trays I had, 25 of them after a week and a half are 10 inches tall and I think ready to be planted so I have an extra bed in the back of my garden I'm just gonna put those 25 in and maybe a few more if they sprout up, then come 2 or 3 more weeks ill plant the seeds in the big row. Im doing silver queen so we shall see what happens. thanks for the advise!

Yeah, I concur with Fruitnut, I don't know anything about corn, so I grew a single row, stalks 4' apart for 200 ', and every one had a good ear and a worthless baby ear (maybe because it's real windy here at 5:00 pm everyday??? I dunno !

Fruitnut,

I have done some pollinating by hand. For the most part it does not need it when planted in blocks, but when there is field corn growing across the fence, it is best to get the sweet corn pollinated as quickly as possible.....been there and done that...done what? Had some grains pollinated by field corn...ugh and ugh again. I have on an occasion had pollination from 200 feet away from across the road in a field.

well My rows should be ok there isn't any corn for probably 50 miles lol however I am going to have to make some space for the 25 plants I have that are ready to go in within the next few days.... I guess I could take up one of my 8x5 empty beds and plot them. once again thanks for all the advise.

my corn looks like it has black mold inside. it has been extremly hot outside this summer over a 100* for almost a month. what causes this? is it safe to eat if i cut the moldy looking part off? will it spread to my other veggies?

Is it a mold or a fungus? See link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corn Smut

I had corn smut one year, I heard it was good to eat. Me being curious I picked the infected ears off the stalks and sauteed some up (bf thought I was nuts) but it was really good, tasted like mushrooms but with a corn taste. I haven't had any smut since then but I did put some spores in a garbage bag with some dirt and saved it. :)