When to plant zucchini & summer squash by zone
Cucurbita pepo is a warm-season crop that is tender to frost. Rule of thumb: start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before the last frost; plant out from 1 week after to 3 weeks after the last frost; direct sow from 1 week after to 4 weeks after the last frost; for a fall crop, sow or plant 10–12 weeks before the first fall frost.
Zucchini & Summer Squash planting dates by zone
Each row uses the median 30%-risk frost dates of the major cities in that zone; rows marked * have no major city and use the median of NOAA stations in that zone instead. Frost dates vary a lot within a zone, so use your city page for local dates. In frost-free climates: Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15.
| Zone | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a* | May 29 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 5 – Jun 19 | Jun 5 – Jun 26 | — |
| 1b* | May 29 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 5 – Jun 19 | Jun 5 – Jun 26 | — |
| 2a | May 21 | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | May 28 – Jun 18 | — |
| 2b* | May 20 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | May 27 – Jun 17 | — |
| 3a* | Jun 4 | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Jun 11 – Jul 2 | — |
| 3b* | May 24 | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 31 – Jun 14 | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jun 26 – Jul 10 |
| 4a | May 12 | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 19 – Jun 2 | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 5 – Jul 19 |
| 4b | May 5 | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 12 – Jul 26 |
| 5a | May 4 | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| 5b | May 4 | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| 6a | May 4 | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| 6b | Apr 26 | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| 7a | Apr 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| 7b | Apr 10 | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| 8b | Mar 22 | Feb 22 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Aug 18 – Sep 1 |
| 9a | Mar 11 | Feb 11 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | Aug 27 – Sep 10 |
| 9b | Feb 12 | Jan 15 – Jan 22 | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Feb 19 – Mar 12 | Sep 10 – Sep 24 |
| 10a | Jan 26 | Dec 29 – Jan 5 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| 10b | Jan 27 | Dec 30 – Jan 6 | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Feb 3 – Feb 24 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| 11a | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 11b* | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 12a* | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 12b | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 13a* | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 13b* | Rare | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
Growing tips
- Two or three plants feed most households.
- Pick fruit at 6–8 inches; leaving big ones slows production.
- A second sowing in midsummer outlasts squash vine borer damage on the first.
Exact dates for your city
Popular: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, San Jose — or browse all cities by state.
Other crops: Tomato, Pepper, Lettuce, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Carrot, Onion, Potato, Basil, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Peas, Eggplant, Cabbage, Radish, Strawberry, Beets