Should sweet corn be suckered?

Sweet corn should certainly be suckered. Suckers are shoots from a corn plant that may or may not set ears. Even if they do set ears, the ears are usually quite small and never amount to anything. These shoots have a negative effect on the main plant, drawing energy away from it in the form of nutrients and, more important, soil moisture — hence the name “sucker.” The bottom line is, pull off those suckers! The main plant will be stronger and healthier, and the ears will be bigger.