How to Plant Cotton Seeds

Plant cotton in the spring once the frosts are over for the year. For the optimal conditions, take the outdoor temperature every day at 8 a.m. for 10 days. If the average temperature during that time was 60 degrees or higher, the time is right for planting the cotton seeds.

Choose an area that gets direct sunlight and till the soil several inches down. Remove any pieces of other plants such as seeds or roots. Add some gentle fertilizer to minimize the risk of harm to the seeds and the young plants. An organic fertilizer such as potash will have less chance of burning the young plants or damaging the seeds.

Dig 1 - 2 1/2 inches into the soil to plant the seeds. Cover the seeds gently without compacting the soil above the seeds. The seeds need oxygen from the soil in order to germinate. Compacting the soil will reduce the amount of air flow through the soil.

Water the soil above the seeds so that the water penetrates the soil down to the seeds. The seeds must have water in order to open and sprout the young cotton plants. Keep watering the cotton seeds as well as the young plants. Once the cotton plants become established and begin to flower, water them infrequently, letting the soil dry out before watering them again.