The best time to sow maize is when soil temperatures reach 10 degrees Celsius. This is usually somewhere in April or May. It is important to wait until the soil conditions are warm and dry and no night frost is forecast. Young plants are sensitive to cold temperatures and a lack of phosphorus uptake. Therefore a readily available form of P can be given at the moment of sowing. When planting on former grassland, the farmer should take into account the subsequent delivery of nitrogen after ploughing the grass.