When Is The Right Time To Plant Corn – AG Matters

Just a couple of weeks we were all thinking early spring. Some farmers may have even thought early planting. Jeff Miller at Cornell Cooperative Extension says planting corn in April, isn't necessarily a good thing.

Planting early doesn’t usually mean greater yields. Corn planted in the last week of April probably will not out yield corn planted in the first 10 days of May. The reason, growing degree days. It takes about 110 -120 GDDs for corn seed to germinate. If you have 65F as a high and 50 as a low in late April you are only amassing 10 GDDs per day which increases the time of germination to 10 or more days.

This time is shortened as the season progresses and temperatures increase. So the main reason to plant early is to avoid planting late (after May 15th) when we know you are starting to lose yields. Soil conditions should be the factor you are watching to determine when to plant. If your seedbed is dry enough to plant and you are in the last week of April you should plant. There is no guarantees what the weather will be and if you wait you may wind up planting late.

SOURCE: Cornell Cooperative Extension - Jeff Miller