State × crop calendar
Grain Sorghum planting in Minnesota.
- Limited / marginal
- Zone 4a
- 130-day season
- Last frost May 15
- Row Crop
- Frost Sensitive
Grain Sorghum planting in Minnesota is shaped by the state's 4a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around May 15, and a 130-day growing season. Grain Sorghum can be grown in Minnesota with attention to season length and variety selection — primarily a specialty or experimental crop here.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Minnesota Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Grain Sorghum · Minnesota · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Spring planting
Grain SorghumEarliest
May 29
Ideal start
June 5
Ideal end
July 3
Latest
July 24
Soil-temp trigger
Wait for 65°F minimum soil temp. Sorghum is heat-loving and tolerates planting up to 2 months after corn.Harvest window
Typical start
September 8
Typical end
October 3
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Grain Sorghum is challenging in Minnesota's climate — focus on short-season varieties, raised beds, season extension (row cover, low tunnel), or microclimates with longer growing windows.
Grain Sorghum can be grown in Minnesota with attention to season length and variety selection — primarily a specialty or experimental crop here.
Agronomy reference
Grain Sorghum fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
65°F
Soil-temp optimum
70–90°F
Days to maturity
95–120
Water (in/wk)
0.4–1"
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Growing-degree-day requirement: 2200 GDD (base 60°F) from planting to maturity.
Drought-tolerant warm-season grain. Often planted as a corn alternative in dry climates or as a dual-purpose food plot grain.
Common pests to watch
- Sorghum midge
- Sugarcane aphid
- Stink bugs
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Minnesota Extension.
Common diseases
- Anthracnose
- Smut
- Charcoal rot
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Grain Sorghum varieties for Minnesota live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
University of Minnesota Extension →Search the extension site for “grain sorghum variety trial” or “recommended grain sorghum varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Grain Sorghum timing. Live alerts.
Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
Start free trial →