Dates for Planting Corn In Texas

Significance

• Sweet corn is highly intolerant to frost. Planting after the last spring frost date in your region of Texas saves spring crops from frost while planting at least 110 days before the first frost of the fall helps protect late crops from frost damage.

Time Frame

• First and last frost dates vary from year-to-year and among the four USDA Plant Hardiness Zones throughout Texas. The last frost of spring occurs as early as the first week of March in southern Texas, around the areas of Brownsville and Corpus Christi, while more northern areas such as Lubbock may not have their final spring frost until the first week of May. First fall frosts in Texas may occur as early as the first week of October in Lubbock and as late as the end of November for Galveston, Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

Specifications

• Plant sweet corn when soil temperatures reach a minimum of 55 degrees, as corn requires this temperature for germination. Super-sweet varieties of corn need warmer soil for planting, no lower than 65 degrees.