I had heard or read about this problem and found something in my "Reader's
Digest Garden Problem Solver" book. Here's what I found:
Problem: Swollen growths, called galls, start out green, become gray to
white, and then burst open, releasing a blackish powder. Galls may be on
the ears, tassels, stalk, or leaves.
Cause: Corn smut is a fungal disease that causes these galls. The galls
release black spores that remain alive for up to seven years in manure,
soil, and crop debris. The spores are transported by wind and splashing
water, and they germinate on corn in moist conditions but can sometimes
strike during very hot, dry summers. Infection is most likely to occur when
plants have been injured by hail, blowing sand, or cultivating tools; when
the soil is very high in nitrogen; or during periods of hot, dry weather.
Solution: There is no cure for corn smut. Remove galls, practice good
garden sanitation and feed plants. Select resistant varieties.
For immediate control, remove and dispose of galls as they appear and before
they release spores.
Avoid damaging healthy plants when cultivating around them.
After sowing, fertilize once a month until the tassels form. Apply a
low-nitrogen organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or well-composted
manure.
After harvest, clean up and remove all plant debris from the garden.
Next season, plant varieties resistant to the disease.
Good varieties that are tight husked for resistance of earworms are:
Breeders Choice, Country Gentleman, Golden Security, Silvergent, and
Staygold.
Smut-resistant varieties include: Apache, Aztec, Brave SE, Candy Store
SH-2, Capitan, Comanche, Comet, Country Gentleman, Merit, Quick Silver, and
Seneca.
Penny
Zone 7 - North Carolina
Elizabeth Kesnar wrote in message
news:MOD$010809.29742@rec.gardens.ecosystems... > > I tried to grow sweetcorn this year & plants were doing fine till July > when they got this black mold growing on them. Does anyone know how to > control this problem? > >