Seed germination · soil truth
Is my soil warm enough to plant?
A sunny 75°F afternoon doesn't mean the seedbed is ready. Enter an actual thermometer reading at planting depth, choose your crop and tell us whether the bed is crumbly, soggy or dry.
Check your garden
Select a U.S. location to load official NOAA and NWS context.
Update a selection to recalculate. Source readings and local plant observations are separate.
Why this decision matters
The thermometer reading comes from you. It is never synthesized from the NWS air forecast. Some corn cultivars, melons and other warm-season crops require higher temperatures than the minimum screen.
Soil temperature beats a warm afternoon
Warm-season direct-seeded vegetables such as beans and cucumbers generally need soil at or above about 60°F. Melons may demand still warmer conditions. Cool-season peas, spinach, lettuce, carrots and radishes can germinate at lower temperatures, but very cold seedbeds slow emergence and increase losses.
Temperature is only one gate: beans and sweet corn can rot in waterlogged soil, and overly dry soil can prevent germination. Our verdict uses your measured seedbed temperature, crop group and observed soil moisture together; an air-temperature API cannot measure your garden soil.
How to measure
Use a soil thermometer at approximately the planting depth, ideally early in the day when soil is coolest. Check several locations and more than one day, especially after cold rain. Confirm variety-specific requirements on the seed packet and check local extension guidance before sowing.
University of Maryland Extension: When to plant vegetables and Sowing vegetable seeds outdoors.
Location evidence uses National Weather Service hourly forecasts, NOAA climate normals and USDA plant hardiness. The forecast is not a measured leaf or soil temperature; climate averages are not predictions.