The occurrence of multiple ears phenomenon in waxy maize in Southwestern Shandong Province was investigated, and its causes and control measures were analyzed. The multiple ears performance in the study area was mainly characterized by multiple ears per plant, multi-spikelets per plant, and multiple ears across plants. The primary causes included genetic traits (some waxy maize varieties being prone to branched multiple ears formation), climatic factors (extreme high temperatures, abnormal precipitation, insufficient sunlight, etc.), and cultivation management issues (excessive planting density, insufficient or imbalanced fertilization, inadequate irrigation, pest and disease damage, and improper chemical application) and chemical control. Based on these findings, several countermeasures were proposed to prevent multiple ears formation: selecting high quality waxy maize varieties (e.g., Lunuo No.6) with low multiple ears rates; adjusting planting density (3 500-4 500 plants/667 m²) according to varietal characteristics to reduce ineffective tillering; avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilization while increasing organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, with timely irrigation during drought at flowering stage; manually removing redundant axillary buds and secondary ears to concentrate nutrient supply to the main ear; and strengthening pest control (e.g., rough dwarf disease and aphids) to protect plant vigor. This study provided a reference for high quality waxy maize production in relevant regions.