How Do You Plant & Grow Cotton?
Cotton, grown in warm, Southern states from Virginia to California (known as the Cotton Belt), is a perennial plant grown as an annual. Cotton’s main growing requirement is a long, warm growing season of 160 to 180 frost-free days. Used for more than just making fluffy towels and T-shirts, cotton supplies materials for mattresses, paper, plastic, salad dressing, and even explosives. Spread a layer of organic material like compost or manure on the soil at a rate of 40 lbs. per every 100 feet. Hand dig with a shovel or till the soil to a depth of 6 inches, removing weeds and rocks. Rake to level the soil. Cotton can’t tolerate heavy, saturated soils. Adding plenty of organic material aids drainage. Water the soil with a sprinkler until thoroughly wet 4 to 6 inches down (typically about 30 minutes). The cotton won’t be watered again until after it has germinated, so make sure the soil is adequately moist before planting. Place a thermometer in the soil. Plant cotton when the soil temperat
