Sweetcorn

I have noticed on my sweetcorn plants that there are side shoots growng were the cobs should form. They look like mini sweetcorn plants. Can anyone tell me what they are + why that has happened?

 

Hi there it me again next question is how do I know when to pick my sweetcorn can see loads of cobs on the plants they have like loads of shoots coming out of the tops when do i pick them please help again. i can tell when to pic my runners and brussels thats all thats left on there at the moment oh & carrots but i take it u wait for them just got get to the size u want!
cheers again chris

 

The side shoots are probably the cobs forming Kevin, later there are long strands of almost sticky threads that appear from these, each thread goes back down into the shoot to the corn.
The pollen from the male flower on the top of the stem has to transfer down onto these threads to pollenate them and form corn in the cob.

The corn is ripe when these threads have withered and died, at that point you can pull back carefully a few of the leaves surrounding the cob and check to see that the corn is a nice yellow colour, if not and its still white put the leaves back and wait a few more days.