Cotton Production Guide
This Cotton Production Guide helps growers plan and record each step of growing cotton from field selection to harvest. Fill it in by hand and keep it with your farm records for later seasons.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideCrops & AgronomyFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Pick fields with suitable drainage and rotation for cotton
- Choose variety fiber traits and nematode tolerance
- Plan seedbed work and planting window
- Set fertility plan from soil test results
- Note key growth stages: square set, boll set and defoliation
- Scout weeds, insects and disease on a regular schedule
- Plan harvest timing and equipment readiness
- Record yield, quality and lessons learned
How to use this guide
Follow the steps in order and write down any changes you make. Where your equipment or product has instructions, those come first.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with eXtension and USDA NRCS.
For more in this area, see the Crop Calendar. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Cotton Insurance Doesn’t Cover Washington, and farming farm stories.