When to Plant Corn
veg · tender · ~75 days to harvest
Planting time for corn is set by your frost dates, not by the calendar month. Sow directly in the garden around your last frost, once the soil has warmed. From there it takes roughly 75 days to the first harvest. Corn is a tender crop, and a single light frost ends it, so both ends of its season are hard boundaries. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or find your zone by ZIP if you are not sure which one you are in.
When to plant corn by zone
| Zone | Last frost | Sow | In the ground | Spring harvest | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 15 | May 22 | May 22 | Aug 5 | — |
| Zone 3b | May 13 | May 20 | May 20 | Aug 3 | — |
| Zone 4a | May 10 | May 17 | May 17 | Jul 31 | — |
| Zone 4b | May 5 | May 12 | May 12 | Jul 26 | — |
| Zone 5a | Apr 30 | May 7 | May 7 | Jul 21 | — |
| Zone 5b | Apr 25 | May 2 | May 2 | Jul 16 | — |
| Zone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 27 | Apr 27 | Jul 11 | — |
| Zone 6b | Apr 15 | Apr 22 | Apr 22 | Jul 6 | — |
| Zone 7a | Apr 10 | Apr 17 | Apr 17 | Jul 1 | — |
| Zone 7b | Apr 3 | Apr 10 | Apr 10 | Jun 24 | — |
| Zone 8a | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 1 | Jun 15 | — |
| Zone 8b | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 22 | Jun 5 | — |
| Zone 9a | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 8 | May 22 | — |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 22 | May 8 | — |
| Zone 10a | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | — |
| Zone 10b | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 22 | Apr 7 | — |
| Zone 11a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
| Zone 11b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 17 | Oct onward |
Dates use the representative frost window for each zone. Your own ZIP will differ by a week or two: look it up here.
Planting corn in fall
Sweet corn pollinates badly in short, cool autumn days, so a fall planting rarely fills out.
For the whole-garden version of this arithmetic, see the fall planting calendar by zone, and how to read and stretch your first frost date.
When to plant corn in 12 US cities
These use each city's own NOAA frost dates rather than its zone average, which is why two cities in the same zone can differ by a week or more. Texas alone spans a wide range: in Houston (Zone 9a) corn goes in around Feb 20 in spring; in Dallas (Zone 8a) corn goes in around Mar 15 in spring.
| City | Zone | Last frost | In the ground (spring) | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 7b | Mar 30 | Apr 6 | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10b | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
| Chicago, IL | 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 23 | — |
| Houston, TX | 9a | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | — |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9b | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
| Philadelphia, PA | 7b | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | — |
| Atlanta, GA | 8a | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | — |
| Dallas, TX | 8a | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | — |
| Denver, CO | 6a | May 5 | May 12 | — |
| Seattle, WA | 8b | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | — |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4b | Apr 23 | Apr 30 | — |
| Miami, FL | 11a | none | Feb onward (warm season) | — |
What to plant with corn
Corn grows well next to beans (bush), squash (winter), cucumbers and sunflowers. Keep it away from tomatoes. Corn earworm and tomato fruitworm are the same insect, so growing both concentrates one pest instead of spreading the risk. The full grid for all 24 crops is in the companion planting chart.
Corn zone pages
More on growing corn
- Soil temperature for planting seeds
The soil temperature corn needs before it will germinate.
- Companion planting chart
What to plant with corn and what to keep away from it.
Frequently asked questions
When can I plant corn?
As soon as your zone's last frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Zone 5b: May 2; Zone 6b: Apr 22; Zone 7b: Apr 10; Zone 8b: Mar 22. Direct sow; it does not transplant well.
How long does corn take to grow?
About 75 days from transplant or sowing to harvest.
Is corn frost-hardy?
Corn is a tender crop. Wait until after the last frost to plant outdoors.
Can you plant corn in the fall?
No. Sweet corn pollinates badly in short, cool autumn days, so a fall planting rarely fills out.
What is the latest I can plant corn?
Corn has to go in early enough to finish before your first frost, so the last useful planting is the spring or early summer one for your zone.