 Sweet corn is synonymous with summer, but in northern climates, sweet corn is usually not ready to be buttered and enjoyed until late July or early August. But by using plastic mulches, this could change. Plastic mulches have been used worldwide to increase the root zone soil temperature and extend the growing season in cold climate regions. They are used most often for high value vegetable crops like sweet corn. Sweet corn production in this region is limited by the cold climate and short growing season. So producers are forced to grow short season crops that have a low yield potential and no competitive value on the market. Consumers therefore have to rely on produce transported from other regions of the country. The high cost of transporting produce raises the cost of the food. Therefore, finding a way to increase the root zone temperature and extend the growing season is an issue producers in cold climates have to deal with. There are many factors in crop production that can limit the yield of the crop, such as water, fertilizer, temperature and pests. Each limiting factor can affect the crop production differently. Some are easy to manage, like plant available water and crop nutrient requirements. Other factors are considered difficult or impossible to manage, like cold temperatures. One of the ways to manage cold soil temperatures is through the practice of mulching. Mulching is the process of covering the soil with a material, in this case plastic sheeting, to alter the soil energy balance. A result of altering the soil energy balance is that the soil temperature under the mulch is increased. Researchers at North Dakota State University set up this project to evaluate sweet corn growth and fresh yield differences for three types of mulches, black plastic, solar plastic and biodegradable, and a control of four planting dates, April 15th, May 1st, May 15th and June 1st, and three hybrids with different maturity rates of 65, 75 and 84 days. The goal is to achieve early and better fresh yields and profitable values in local market. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications and a split plot arrangement. With three replicates for each treatment, there will be a total of 144 plots. In each plot, two thermocouple sensors will be constructed with one buried at 5 cm depth for soil temperature and the other at 10 cm above ground for air temperature measurement. A data logger and a multiplexer will be used to record and collect the soil and air temperature data in 10-minute frequencies. A weather station is located nearby on a uniform grass site that will provide air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction, and evapotranspiration measurements. In addition, a net radiometer will be located at 1 meter above the crop canopy for each of the four mulch treatments to determine the energy balance. Plastic mulch has been used to increase root zone soil temperature and extend the growing season in other cold regions, and we hope this project will show that it will work in North Dakota as well. The importance of this project is unpredictable and the extension of mulch is revolutionary for farmers in cold regions. Plus, fresh, local produce with a better quality and taste at an affordable price will improve the overall quality of life for local residents.