When to plant sweet corn in Durham
Sweet corn is frost-tender, so every date keys off Durham's last spring frost of Apr 2.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 30 – May 21
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 29 – Aug 8
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 100 d
Durham's 218-day season leaves this much room.
Sweet corn on Durham's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
HARVEST
APR 2
NOV 1
Common questions
When can I sow sweet corn outdoors in Durham?
Direct-sow around late April (Apr 30–May 21) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will sweet corn be ready to harvest in Durham?
Expect to harvest from around late June (Jun 29–Aug 8) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
How long is the growing season in Durham?
Durham has roughly 218 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow sweet corn to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow sweet corn 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Durham's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.