When to Plant Squash in North Carolina

For squash in North Carolina, spring planting starts between Apr 1 (Alamance County) and May 15 (Alleghany County), according to N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Photo: Harvested zucchini and summer squash. nociveglia from Appennino Emiliano, Italy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Planting dates for squash in your county

County

Each county uses its region's calendar: Western, Central or Eastern.

Zucchini plant with a yellow flower

Published dates for squash in North Carolina

Type	Season	Region	Published dates	Source
Squash, summer	spring	Central North Carolina	'S' marked in half-month columns Apr 1 through Aug 1 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-01, p. 5, Table 1
Squash, summer	spring	Central North Carolina	'T' marked in half-month columns Apr 1 through Aug 1 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-01, p. 5, Table 1
Squash, summer	spring	Eastern North Carolina	'S' marked in half-month columns Apr 1 through Aug 1 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-02, p. 5, Table 1
Squash, summer	spring	Eastern North Carolina	'T' marked in half-month columns Apr 1 through Aug 1 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-02, p. 5, Table 1
Squash, summer	spring	Western North Carolina	'S' marked in half-month columns May 15 through Jul 15 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-03, p. 5, Table 1
Squash, summer	spring	Western North Carolina	'T' marked in half-month columns May 15 through Jul 15 (cells: S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T \| S, T)	AG-756-03, p. 5, Table 1

Planting dates for squash by North Carolina county

County	Spring	Summer and fall
Alamance	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Alexander	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Alleghany	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Anson	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Ashe	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Avery	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Beaufort	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Bertie	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Bladen	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Brunswick	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Buncombe	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Burke	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Cabarrus	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Caldwell	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Camden	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Carteret	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Caswell	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Catawba	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Chatham	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Cherokee	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Chowan	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Clay	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Cleveland	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Columbus	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Craven	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Cumberland	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Currituck	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Dare	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Davidson	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Davie	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Duplin	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Durham	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Edgecombe	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Forsyth	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Franklin	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Gaston	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Gates	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Graham	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Granville	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Greene	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Guilford	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Halifax	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Harnett	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Haywood	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Henderson	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Hertford	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Hoke	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Hyde	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Iredell	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Jackson	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Johnston	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Jones	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Lee	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Lenoir	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Lincoln	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Macon	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Madison	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Martin	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
McDowell	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Mecklenburg	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Mitchell	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Montgomery	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Moore	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Nash	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
New Hanover	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Northampton	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Onslow	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Orange	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Pamlico	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Pasquotank	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Pender	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Perquimans	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Person	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Pitt	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Polk	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Randolph	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Richmond	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Robeson	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Rockingham	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Rowan	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Rutherford	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Sampson	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Scotland	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Stanly	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Stokes	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Surry	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Swain	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Transylvania	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Tyrrell	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Union	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Vance	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Wake	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Warren	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Washington	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Watauga	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Wayne	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Wilkes	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a
Wilson	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Yadkin	Apr 1 to Aug 14	n/a
Yancey	May 15 to Jul 31	n/a

More North Carolina planting dates

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

More planting dates for North Carolina

Planting dates for each crop in North Carolina, from the N.C. Cooperative Extension calendar.

Tomatoes

Peppers

Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Green Beans

Cucumbers

Lettuce

Onions

Planting squash in North Carolina: questions

When do you plant squash in North Carolina?

For squash in North Carolina, spring planting starts between Apr 1 (Alamance County) and May 15 (Alleghany County), according to N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Can I plant squash in the fall in North Carolina?

The N.C. Cooperative Extension 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 North Carolina frost dates page for a safe margin.

Where do these dates for squash come from?

AG-756-01 Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs; AG-756-02 Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs; AG-756-03 Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs.

How are the county dates set?

Counties are matched to the Western, Central or Eastern calendar.

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

Photos: 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; Zucchini plant with a yellow flower: net_efekt from Oxford, UK, CC BY 2.0, 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 plants growing in a greenhouse bed: HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Young lettuce plant in garden soil: GT1976, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Long rows of green onion plants growing in sandy farm soil: ליזי שאנן, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.