How Early Can You Plant Sweet Corn?

Soil Temperature

• Plant sweet corn after the soil has warmed up to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet corn cannot germinate at temperatures below 50 degrees, so it is useless to plant when soil temperatures are lower than this.

Spring Frosts

• Plant sweet corn at least 10 days after the average last spring frost in your area, according to the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Center. The National Climatic Center provides data for the average last frost date in many cities across the United States.

Dangers

• Some people choose to plant corn sooner than recommended in an effort to get earlier crops to sell. Although this can work in years when the last frost date is earlier than usual, the practice runs the risk of killing seedlings with a late frost.