How to Plant Sorghum Seed

Treat the sorghum seed with a fungicide according to the manufacturer's instruction. These seeds are prone to rot and blight caused by fungi.

Select a planting site in full sun with proper drainage, and loosen the soil to a depth of at least 4 inches with a rototiller. Mix sufficient limestone into the soil to raise the soil pH to 6.0.

Fertilize the loose soil with up to 120 lbs. of nitrogen per acre for poor soil. Perform this step only if you don't plant sorghum in rows.

Plant sorghum seeds in the spring when the soil temperature reaches 65 degrees at a depth of 4 inches to ensure rapid germination. Sow the seeds at a concentration of 25 lbs. per acre with a broadcast spreader if you are growing sorghum as a crop. Use a concentration of 5 to 10 lbs. of seeds per acre if you are growing sorghum as a pasture. Plant the seeds in rows 3 feet apart if you grow sorghum as a crop.

Cover the sorghum seeds with 1 inch of soil. Keep the soil moist with at least 1 inch of water per week until the seeds sprout, usually within two weeks. Sorghum can tolerate a range of water once it sprouts.

Apply up to 120 lbs. nitrogen fertilizer per acre in a line 2 inches to the side of each row when the plants reach a height of at least 8 inches. Perform this step only if you plant the sorghum in rows.