When to Plant Squash in California

For squash in California, spring planting starts between Aug 1 (Imperial County) and May 1 (Alameda County), according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Photo: Zucchini fruit on the plant. Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Planting dates for squash in your county

County

Each county uses the dates for its region: North and North Coast, South Coast, Interior Valleys or Desert Valleys.

Squash plant with yellow blossoms and spreading stems in a straw-mulched garden

Published dates for squash in California

Type	Season	Region	Published dates	Source
Squash, summer	spring	Interior Valleys	April–July	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Squash, summer	spring	North & North Coast	May–July	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Squash, summer	spring	South Coast	April–June	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Squash, summer	winter	Desert Valleys	Feb–Mar	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Squash, summer	summer	Desert Valleys	Aug–Sep	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)

Planting dates for squash by California county

County	Spring	Summer and fall
Alameda	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Alpine	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Amador	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Butte	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Calaveras	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Colusa	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Contra Costa	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Del Norte	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
El Dorado	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Fresno	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Glenn	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Humboldt	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Imperial	Aug 1 to Sep 30; Feb 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Inyo	Aug 1 to Sep 30; Feb 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Kern	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Kings	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Lake	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Lassen	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Los Angeles	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
Madera	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Marin	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Mariposa	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Mendocino	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Merced	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Modoc	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Mono	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Monterey	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Napa	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Nevada	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Orange	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
Placer	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Plumas	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Riverside	Aug 1 to Sep 30; Feb 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Sacramento	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
San Benito	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
San Bernardino	Aug 1 to Sep 30; Feb 1 to Mar 31	n/a
San Diego	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
San Francisco	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
San Joaquin	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
San Luis Obispo	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
San Mateo	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Santa Barbara	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
Santa Clara	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Santa Cruz	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Shasta	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Sierra	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Siskiyou	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Solano	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Sonoma	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Stanislaus	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Sutter	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Tehama	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Trinity	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Tulare	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Tuolumne	May 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Ventura	Apr 1 to Jun 30	n/a
Yolo	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a
Yuba	Apr 1 to Jul 31	n/a

More California planting dates

Tomatoes
Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Lima Beans
Peas
Cucumbers
Winter Squash
Pumpkins
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Okra
Eggplant
Lettuce
Spinach
Kale
Mustard Greens
Turnips
Swiss Chard
Cabbage
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Kohlrabi
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Rutabagas
Parsley

More planting dates for California

Planting dates for each crop in California, from the UC Master Gardener Program calendar.

Tomatoes

Peppers

Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Green Beans

Cucumbers

Lettuce

Onions

Planting squash in California: questions

When do you plant squash in California?

For squash in California, spring planting starts between Aug 1 (Imperial County) and May 1 (Alameda County), according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Can I plant squash in the fall in California?

The UC Master Gardener Program calendar used here lists no fall window for squash.

How close to frost can I plant squash?

Use your county’s 10% last frost date on the California frost dates page for a safe margin.

Where do these dates for squash come from?

California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2 Time of planting (UC Master Gardener Program statewide page; table 'Recommended planting dates', source: California Master Gardener Handbook, Table 13.2).

How are the county dates set?

The UC table gives separate dates for the coast, the interior valleys and the desert valleys; each county uses its region.

Photos: Zucchini fruit on the plant: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Harvested zucchini and summer squash: nociveglia from Appennino Emiliano, Italy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Squash plant with yellow blossoms and spreading stems in a straw-mulched garden: Mary O'Neill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Pile of ripe tomatoes: Jubair Bin Iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Potato plants growing in a home garden: Geo Lightspeed7, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Field of sweet corn in summer: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Clusters of long green bean pods hanging from a climbing bean vine: Nirajan_pant, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cucumber vines climbing a wooden trellis in a kitchen garden: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Green and red leaf lettuce heads growing along drip lines in a garden bed: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons; Long rows of green onion plants growing in sandy farm soil: ליזי שאנן, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.