@epicgardening: Though corn is one of the most grown crops in the USA, few people know how it ACTUALLY grows! When corn gets to a certain size, it produces tassels, the male part of the plant. These are at the top of the corn stalk. Below, little ears of corn start to form and silks, the female part, peek out of the top. The tassels and silks work together in a fascinating dance to create perfect ears of corn. The tassels are rustled by wind, releasing grains of pollen that - with any luck - land on the silks and travel down them, into the ear to pollinate an individual kernel of corn. So if you've ever seen a weird looking ear with missing kernels, you know it's a pollination issue! This is why corn is planted in blocks, to maximize the chance that each silk is hit with pollen.