When to plant cucumber
Cucumber is a tender, warm-season vine that matures in about 50–70 days from sowing. Start seeds indoors about 3–4 weeks before your last spring frost, then direct-sow about 1–2 weeks after the last frost. Because the right calendar date depends on your local frost dates, pick your ZIP or city on the home planner to see exact cucumber planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.
Cucumber at a glance
| Category | warm-season vine |
|---|---|
| Frost tolerance | Tender |
| Start indoors | 3–4 weeks before last frost |
| Plant out | Direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost |
| Days to maturity | 50–70 days (from sow) |
| Min. soil temp | 65°F |
| Second (fall) crop | Not typically |
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Cucumber planting windows by city
The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is cucumber across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.
| Location | Zone | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adak, AK | 8b | May 3 – May 10 | Jun 7 – Jun 14 | Jul 27 – Aug 16 |
| Fort Payne, AL | 7b | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 25 – Jun 14 |
| Saratoga, AR | 8b | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 22 – Jun 11 |
| Top-of-the-World, AZ | 8a | Jan 27 – Feb 3 | Mar 3 – Mar 10 | Apr 22 – May 12 |
| Half Moon Bay, CA | 10a | Jan 9 – Jan 16 | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Apr 4 – Apr 24 |
| Rohnert Park, CA | 9a | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 26 – May 16 |
| Ellicott, CO | 6a | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 20 | Jul 2 – Jul 22 |
| Millsboro, DE | 7b | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 31 – Jun 20 |
| Yankeetown, FL | 9b | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 26 – May 16 |
| Volcano, HI | 11a | — | year-round | — |
| Boise, ID | 7a | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 20 – Jul 10 |
| Effingham, IL | 6b | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | Jun 9 – Jun 29 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 6a | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 17 – Jul 7 |
| Minneapolis, KS | 6b | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 4 | Jun 16 – Jul 6 |
| Bayou Blue, LA | 9b | Jan 8 – Jan 15 | Feb 12 – Feb 19 | Apr 3 – Apr 23 |
| Glen Burnie, MD | 8a | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 26 |
| Elk Rapids, MI | 6a | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 26 – Jul 16 |
| Dawson, MN | 4b | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 29 – Jul 19 |
| Cayuga, OK | 7a | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 11 – Jul 1 |
| Cleveland, MS | 8b | Feb 14 – Feb 21 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 10 – May 30 |
| Island Park, ID | 4a | May 18 – May 25 | Jun 22 – Jun 29 | Aug 11 – Aug 31 |
| Hickory, NC | 8a | Mar 3 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 27 – Jun 16 |
| Litchville, ND | 4a | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 6 – Jul 26 |
| Plainview, NE | 5b | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 26 – Jul 16 |
| Capulin, NM | 5b | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 13 – Aug 2 |
| Gabbs, NV | 6b | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 15 | Jun 27 – Jul 17 |
| Madrid, NY | 4b | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 13 | Jun 25 – Jul 15 |
| London, OH | 6a | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 20 – Jul 10 |
| Perkins, OK | 7b | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 30 – Jun 19 |
| Shedd, OR | 8b | Feb 14 – Feb 21 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | May 10 – May 30 |
| Seltzer, PA | 6a | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | Jun 12 – Jul 2 |
| Custer, SD | 5a | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 30 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 – Aug 8 |
| Lynchburg, TN | 7b | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | Jun 3 – Jun 23 |
| Early, TX | 8a | Feb 22 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | May 18 – Jun 7 |
| Ozona, TX | 8a | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 23 – Jun 12 |
| Fillmore, UT | 6a | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 30 – Jul 20 |
| Hillsville, VA | 7a | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 21 – Jul 11 |
| Green Bluff, WA | 6b | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 29 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 |
| Gordon, WI | 4a | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 29 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 |
| Elk Garden, WV | 6b | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 26 – Jul 16 |
How to time cucumber
Cucumber is a tender warm-season vine. Tender crops are damaged by any frost, so plant them out only after the danger of frost has passed. Start seeds indoors about 3–4 weeks before your last frost, then direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost. It matures in roughly 50–70 days from sowing.
Find your own dates on the home planner, browse all crops, or read the methodology for the offsets and citations behind these windows.
Frequently asked questions
- Is cucumber frost-tolerant?
- Cucumber is a tender crop. Tender crops are damaged by any frost, so plant them out only after the danger of frost has passed.
- How long does cucumber take to grow?
- About 50–70 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on variety and weather. Days-to-maturity ranges are typical values from U.S. Cooperative Extension planting guides.
- When should I start cucumber seeds indoors?
- Start seeds indoors roughly 3–4 weeks before your average last spring frost, then sow out direct-sow about 1–2 weeks after the last frost. Look up your local last-frost date on the planner for exact calendar dates.