In Indiana, the prime planting window for corn is from April 20 to May 10. In northern counties, this starts a week later, while southern counties can begin a week earlier.
Corn planting generally occurs from late April to late May or early June, with about half planted after mid-May over the past two decades.
• Watch Your Seeding Depth
During planting, growers often overlook seeding depth, especially in busy seasons, defaulting to previous years’ settings. While a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches usually works, varying conditions like soil moisture require attention and may require seeding depth adjustments to be made.
• Moisture
Consistent moisture at the seeding depth ensures rapid, even germination. Check soil moisture on planting day — if it’s lacking, consider planting deeper for better moisture availability.
• Tips for Dry Weeks
In dry weeks, checking moisture in each field is crucial. A 2-inch depth might not provide enough moisture for uniform germination and emergence. Planting deeper can help with consistency and ensure seeds are placed in the soil with adequate moisture.
If you have irrigation, lightly water the top 6 inches of soil after planting. If needed, water should be applied to maintain ideal conditions during early nodal root growth.
• Soil Temperature
It is important to remember that corn typically needs 115 growing degree days to emerge, and if the soil temperature is at 50°F and continues to average only 50°F for a length of time, corn can take upwards of 35 days to emerge. Whereas, if corn is planted into a soil with a daily average temperature of 65°F, emergence can occur in 7 days or less. The overall goal is to achieve rapid emergence of corn plants to shorten the period an emerging plant is exposed to certain stresses, limit the potential for uneven emergence, and also achieve more stress-tolerant plants.
