PlantZoneFinder

When to plant summer squash / zucchini

Tender · warm-season vine

Summer squash / zucchini is a tender, warm-season vine that matures in about 45–60 days from sowing. Sow directly in the garden 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 summer squash / zucchini planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.

Summer squash / zucchini at a glance

Planning parameters — typical ranges from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Category warm-season vine
Frost tolerance Tender
Start indoors Not usually — direct-sow
Plant out Direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost
Days to maturity 45–60 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.

Summer squash / zucchini planting windows by city

The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is summer squash / zucchini across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.

Computed by counting from each location's NOAA 1991–2020 average frost dates.
Location Zone Start indoors Plant out First harvest
Adak, AK 8b — Jun 7 – Jun 14 Jul 22 – Aug 6
Fort Payne, AL 7b — Apr 5 – Apr 12 May 20 – Jun 4
Saratoga, AR 8b — Apr 2 – Apr 9 May 17 – Jun 1
Top-of-the-World, AZ 8a — Mar 3 – Mar 10 Apr 17 – May 2
Half Moon Bay, CA 10a — Feb 13 – Feb 20 Mar 30 – Apr 14
Rohnert Park, CA 9a — Mar 7 – Mar 14 Apr 21 – May 6
Ellicott, CO 6a — May 13 – May 20 Jun 27 – Jul 12
Millsboro, DE 7b — Apr 11 – Apr 18 May 26 – Jun 10
Yankeetown, FL 9b — Mar 7 – Mar 14 Apr 21 – May 6
Volcano, HI 11a — year-round —
Boise, ID 7a — May 1 – May 8 Jun 15 – Jun 30
Effingham, IL 6b — Apr 20 – Apr 27 Jun 4 – Jun 19
Indianapolis, IN 6a — Apr 28 – May 5 Jun 12 – Jun 27
Minneapolis, KS 6b — Apr 27 – May 4 Jun 11 – Jun 26
Bayou Blue, LA 9b — Feb 12 – Feb 19 Mar 29 – Apr 13
Glen Burnie, MD 8a — Apr 17 – Apr 24 Jun 1 – Jun 16
Elk Rapids, MI 6a — May 7 – May 14 Jun 21 – Jul 6
Dawson, MN 4b — May 10 – May 17 Jun 24 – Jul 9
Cayuga, OK 7a — Apr 22 – Apr 29 Jun 6 – Jun 21
Cleveland, MS 8b — Mar 21 – Mar 28 May 5 – May 20
Island Park, ID 4a — Jun 22 – Jun 29 Aug 6 – Aug 21
Hickory, NC 8a — Apr 7 – Apr 14 May 22 – Jun 6
Litchville, ND 4a — May 17 – May 24 Jul 1 – Jul 16
Plainview, NE 5b — May 7 – May 14 Jun 21 – Jul 6
Capulin, NM 5b — May 24 – May 31 Jul 8 – Jul 23
Gabbs, NV 6b — May 8 – May 15 Jun 22 – Jul 7
Madrid, NY 4b — May 6 – May 13 Jun 20 – Jul 5
London, OH 6a — May 1 – May 8 Jun 15 – Jun 30
Perkins, OK 7b — Apr 10 – Apr 17 May 25 – Jun 9
Shedd, OR 8b — Mar 21 – Mar 28 May 5 – May 20
Seltzer, PA 6a — Apr 23 – Apr 30 Jun 7 – Jun 22
Custer, SD 5a — May 30 – Jun 6 Jul 14 – Jul 29
Lynchburg, TN 7b — Apr 14 – Apr 21 May 29 – Jun 13
Early, TX 8a — Mar 29 – Apr 5 May 13 – May 28
Ozona, TX 8a — Apr 3 – Apr 10 May 18 – Jun 2
Fillmore, UT 6a — May 11 – May 18 Jun 25 – Jul 10
Hillsville, VA 7a — May 2 – May 9 Jun 16 – Jul 1
Green Bluff, WA 6b — May 29 – Jun 5 Jul 13 – Jul 28
Gordon, WI 4a — May 29 – Jun 5 Jul 13 – Jul 28
Elk Garden, WV 6b — May 7 – May 14 Jun 21 – Jul 6

How to time summer squash / zucchini

Summer squash / zucchini 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. Direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost, once the soil is at least about 65°F. It matures in roughly 45–60 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 summer squash / zucchini frost-tolerant?
Summer squash / zucchini 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 summer squash / zucchini take to grow?
About 45–60 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.
Can I direct-sow summer squash / zucchini?
Yes — summer squash / zucchini is usually direct-sown rather than started indoors. Sow direct-sow about 1–2 weeks after the last frost, once the soil is at least about 65°F.