How to Measure Soil Temperature?

[ElizabethBarry]

My corn seed info says not to plant until ground is 65° I never thought about taking the temperature of the ground. Could it be a simple as burying a thermometer ? as silly as it sounds this is a novice question. Thanks

[tomc]

May a recommend an instant-read kitchen thermometer?

They are both washable and affordable. And pin to your shirt.

[ElizabethBarry]

May a recommend an instant-read kitchen thermometer?

They are both washable and affordable. And pin to your shirt.

Cool thanks I'll get one !

[jal_ut]

I have never used a thermometer on soil. That does in no way suggest it would not be a good thing. I plant corn on the 5th of May. It works here.

Corn sends up new growth from the center and if the first leaves get frozen a bit, it just sends up some more. That is why I can plant by the calendar and make it.

I suggest planting corn on the day of your average last frost for your locale. Yes, it is likely to get a frost after planting corn and even after it is up, however, unless it is a very severe frost the corn will make it even if planted before the last frost.

[ElizabethBarry]

This is great news for us zone 5 may 16th. lots of sun and water. I'm still going to stick a probe to the earth only cause I'm soooo curious !!! Thanks

I have never used a thermometer on soil. That does in no way suggest it would not be a good thing. I plant corn on the 5th of May. It works here.

Corn sends up new growth from the center and if the first leaves get frozen a bit, it just sends up some more. That is why I can plant by the calendar and make it.

I suggest planting corn on the day of your average last frost for your locale. Yes, it is likely to get a frost after planting corn and even after it is up, however, unless it is a very severe frost the corn will make it even if planted before the last frost.

[tomc]

Corn, cucumbers, and yams all like warm soil.

[applestar]

So what are the soil temps in your garden?

Be sure to check different areas. I have a lower lying clay subsoil area that warms up last (50°F yesterday) but the raised beds are 5-10°F warmer and ready to plant much earlier.

[skiingjeff]

There are actual soil thermometers sold on the market. They are pretty much instant read but are larger than the kitchen type. I normally put it into the soil and wait about 3 minutes (because I want to be sure it registers). Then upon removing it to read it you need to be careful to only hold it on the top area and not touch the bottom as it will quickly change its reading based on the ambient temperature of your hand.

Hmmm, I would imagine a kitchen one would work as well but may not have the same range of temperatures on it? I'll have to check with my kitchen one versus the soil one.

[applestar]

You may be right skiingjeff....

By the way, regarding the original post, and I realize you couldn't do this with corn when sowing a whole field, but I have a little experiment going with pre-germinating them in warmer conditions before sowing.

[ElizabethBarry]

Thanks so much for sharing. It's very nice to see in active Gardening community especially this time of year when many questions arise from Little experience folks like me

[skiingjeff]

Well, last night as I was making dinner, I checked my kitchen instant read thermometer and it starts at 60 degrees F which would not help determine soil temperature for the cold weather plants.

The soil thermometer wasn't that expensive. I got mine at Agway one year.

Happy Gardening!

[ElizabethBarry]

Thanks I checked the thermometers I currently have which I just normal body temperature ones. Guess I'm checking a good old site of mine my local nursery and or Walmart or Gardening ones. Thanks all.

[jal_ut]

Corn, cucumbers, and yams all like warm soil.

Cucumbers especially. (I don't grow Yams) I plant cukes June 1. Corn May 5.

[feldon30]

My corn seed info says not to plant until ground is 65° I never thought about taking the temperature of the ground. Could it be a simple as burying a thermometer ? as silly as it sounds this is a novice question. Thanks

Some questions...

• How much corn are you going to plant?
• Are you growing in the ground or in raised beds?
• Do you plan to do staggered plantings to have waves of corn rather than all of it come in at once?

Personally, in your zone, if I were wanting 4 x 6 ft worth of corn (approx 100 ears of corn) over a 6 week period, I'd sow 4 ft x 2 ft, wait 2 weeks, sow another 4 ft x 2 ft, wait another 2 weeks, and then sow another 4 x 2 ft.

Also one thing I am trying this year is rather than traditional rows, I am doing 1 foot diameter circles with 8 seeds planted around the edge. This is NOT anything I have personally tried before but something I heard from another gardener. The problem with rows of corn in a home garden is, there aren't enough rows for good pollination. This approach with "corn circles" is supposed to address this issue, while making more efficient use of the raised bed garden space. I will certainly post if it is successful or not.

[lexusnexus]

In the mid-Atlantic area (DC area in specific) I'd normally agree with going with a date. This year all bets are off. We haven't had all that many days when the air temperature has been above 65. I'd go with the thermometer this year.

[ElizabethBarry]

I read minimum of four rows so I'll do that. And plant every two weeks instead of all at once thanks for the suggestion. Good luck with circle hopefully we hear a report hiw that worked out.

[ElizabethBarry]

Thanks dan

[jal_ut]

Personally, in your zone, if I were wanting 4 x 6 ft worth of corn (approx 100 ears of corn) over a 6 week period, I'd sow 4 ft x 2 ft, wait 2 weeks, sow another 4 ft x 2 ft, wait another 2 weeks, and then sow another 4 x 2 ft.

I find it best to wait until the first planting is 3 inches tall then plant again, etc. Seems that if spaced 2 weeks and the weather is getting progressively warmer, the second planting catches up and it all comes ready about the same time.

[ElizabethBarry]

You got it, thanks. Three inches then more seed. Any words how late to keep planting new ? Fall zone five is around October 15th.

[charlierobinson]

My corn seed info says not to plant until ground is 65° I never thought about taking the temperature of the ground. Could it be a simple as burying a thermometer ? as silly as it sounds this is a novice question. Thanks

Some questions...

• How much corn are you going to plant?
• Are you growing in the ground or in raised beds?
• Do you plan to do staggered plantings to have waves of corn rather than all of it come in at once?

Personally, in your zone, if I were wanting 4 x 6 ft worth of corn (approx 100 ears of corn) over a 6 week period, I'd sow 4 ft x 2 ft, wait 2 weeks, sow another 4 ft x 2 ft, wait another 2 weeks, and then sow another 4 x 2 ft.

Also one thing I am trying this year is rather than traditional rows, I am doing 1 foot diameter circles with 8 seeds planted around the edge. This is NOT anything I have personally tried before but something I heard from another gardener. The problem with rows of corn in a home garden is, there aren't enough rows for good pollination. This approach with "corn circles" is supposed to address this issue, while making more efficient use of the raised bed garden space. I will certainly post if it is successful or not.

Bro, what were your results!?

[Gary350]

I have a quick read thermometer accurate to 1/2 degree F. I till the soil then next day sick the thermometer in the soil 1 1/2" deep the depth of seed planting to check the temperature. Some times it takes a week or so for the sun to warm up the soil but when it gets 65 I plant. I learned years ago plant too soon seeds never germinate some plants like beans are more sensitive to cold soil. Make sure weather man says weather is going to stay warm and sunny for 5 days to get good germination. A cold rain can really screw things up. The only other things you can do to get an early start is buy plants or grow plants in the house then transplant the very first day plants come up. Zone is last frost in your area something seed companies made up, if I said I am in zone 36 would that mean anything to anyone.






'

[imafan26]

If the air temperature is at least 75 consistently and you are past your last frost date, you should be fine. Corn needs warm weather and long days 14-16 hours for temperate corn. Tropical corn can make ears with 12 hour days. Cold weather and short days slow growth.
The Farmer's almanac says the best time to plant corn will be around May. Your last frost date is April 25 so sometime after that.
https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planti ... 20Junction

[jal_ut]

A small, handy pocket test thermometer will work well. It has a probe and a dial. I use these for beekeeping and honey extraction, but have not used it on the soil. It would certainly work though. Just poke it in and wait a few seconds for a reading.

[imafan26]

Compost thermometers should work but it is expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/REOTEMP-FG20P-Ba ... B002P5RGMI

[jal_ut]

"Taylor 9840 Digital Instant Read LCD Pocket Thermometer"

This is what use for the honey extraction. It would work well for soil testing too. Just poke it in and wait a few seconds for a reading.

[rainbowgardener]

Personally, in your zone, if I were wanting 4 x 6 ft worth of corn (approx 100 ears of corn) over a 6 week period, I'd sow 4 ft x 2 ft, wait 2 weeks, sow another 4 ft x 2 ft, wait another 2 weeks, and then sow another 4 x 2 ft.

That was from a post on page one of this thread from 2014. But 4x6 ft worth of corn seems very unlikely to me to = 100 ears of corn. I did a 4x4 bed of corn last year. I planted it one per sq foot = 16 plants. That is much closer than the recommended spacing. They usually say plants one foot apart but rows at least 30 inches apart. I looked at various spacing recommendations from the square foot garden folks. I saw recommendations of 2,3,4 corn plants per square foot. But understand that those folks are growing in super enriched soil and babying their plants like crazy. Even so having seen what one per sq foot looked like, I'm having trouble picturing much more. My 16 corn plants produced one ear each or 16 ears. I don't know whether if I had worked harder at fertilization, etc, I could have induced them to produce two. People always say corn is a heavy feeder and since I don't use synthetic ferts, I may not have been giving them enough.

At my rate, 4x6 would = 24 ears, not 100!. If you could get them to produce 2 ears per plant, you are up to 48. That seems like about the max to me. If you plant them closer, you are even less likely to get two ears per plant and may in fact get none on some plants. The plants in the interior of a very dense planting may not get pollinated enough to fill out ears.

[imafan26]

The corn on the outside usually does not make full ears unless you hand pollinate. Corn needs to be planted in a block for fuller ears. 4 rows are better than 2. A short block of corn is better than long rows, unless you plan to bag your tassels and hand pollinate.

[jal_ut]

rainbowgardener says: " jal_ut wrote:
Personally, in your zone, if I were wanting 4 x 6 ft worth of corn (approx 100 ears of corn) over a 6 week period, I'd sow 4 ft x 2 ft, wait 2 weeks, sow another 4 ft x 2 ft, wait another 2 weeks, and then sow another 4 x 2 ft."

I am sorry, that does not sound like anything I would say. Please where did you get this "quote"?

[imafan26]

I think it was a quote from Feldon30 not Jal-ut. It can get confusing with all the quotes within quotes.

[jal_ut]

Interesting this old thread from 04 27 14 got re-upped.

I reckon my soil temp today is about 34 degrees, since it is covered with a foot of snow. The air temp today 48 degrees and its breezy, but this snow isn't moving back very fast. No bees flying. Still looks like winter.

[rainbowgardener]

I think it was a quote from Feldon30 not Jal-ut. It can get confusing with all the quotes within quotes.

Imafan is right, sorry James. It is from the first page of this thread, but you were not the one who said it. I didn't even notice that your name got attached to it.