When to plant sweet corn in New Orleans
Sweet corn is frost-tender, so every date keys off New Orleans's last spring frost of Feb 8.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 18 – Apr 8
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 17 – Jun 26
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 100 d
New Orleans's 304-day season leaves this much room.
Sweet corn on New Orleans'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
HARVEST
FEB 8
DEC 9
Common questions
When can I sow sweet corn outdoors in New Orleans?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 18–Apr 8) in New Orleans, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will sweet corn be ready to harvest in New Orleans?
Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 17–Jun 26) in New Orleans, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 73%.
How long is the growing season in New Orleans?
New Orleans has roughly 304 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 New Orleans's frost dates.
Confidence 81/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.