When to Plant Winter Squash
Winter squash is a tender warm-season vegetable. Frost damages it, so it goes out only after the last spring frost.
Start seeds indoors in the 2 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out 2 to 4 weeks after the last frost. Or sow it where it will grow, 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost. The first harvest comes about 85 to 110 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Mar 1 – 15 | Apr 1 – 15 | May 1 – 15 |
| Harden off | Mar 22 – 28 | Apr 22 – 28 | May 22 – 28 |
| Plant out | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 29 – May 13 | May 29 – Jun 12 |
| Harvest | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jun 25 – Jul 16 | Jul 25 – Aug 15 |
| Direct-sown: Sow outdoors | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 29 – May 13 | May 29 – Jun 12 |
| Direct-sown: Harvest | Jun 22 – Jul 13 | Jul 23 – Aug 13 | Aug 22 – Sep 12 |
Growing winter squash
Let the rind harden on the vine and harvest before a hard freeze, leaving a short stem on each fruit.
- Spacing: 36 in apart, in rows 72 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per 2 sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 85 to 110 from sowing, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: winter squash is in the squash family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: dill, marigold, nasturtium, pole bean, pumpkin, radish, sweet corn. See companion plants for winter squash.
- Usually kept apart from: potato.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant winter squash and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start winter squash indoors?
In the 2 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Apr 1 – 15. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can winter squash go in before the last frost?
No. Winter squash is damaged by frost: plant it out 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost.
How long does winter squash take to grow?
About 85 to 110 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Germination Requirements for Annuals and Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing Squash in Iowa
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Utah State University Extension, Utah 4-H: Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting (2025)
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home