When to plant pumpkin
Vegetable, tender
CSU lists pumpkin as very tender, typically 2 or more weeks after the last frost, while the cucurbit sheet says wait a week (longer if chilly) and ideally 60°F soil at 2 inches. Wisconsin's planting minimum for squash is 70°F. The 1–2 week window covers those week figures; no days-to-maturity was on the pages opened.
The general rule
- Sow outdoors
- 1–2 weeks after the last spring frost
- Plant when soil reaches
- 70°F
- Days to maturity
- Varies by variety
What that means in different climates
The same rule applied to the safer frost dates of cities from cold to frost-free.
| City | Last frost · safer | Sow outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | Jan 23 | Jan 30 – Feb 6 |
| Tucson, AZ | Mar 2 | Mar 9 – Mar 16 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 21 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 |
| Baltimore, MD | Apr 4 | Apr 11 – Apr 18 |
| New York, NY | Apr 12 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 16 | Apr 23 – Apr 30 |
| Louisville, KY | Apr 23 | Apr 30 – May 7 |
| Omaha, NE | May 6 | May 13 – May 20 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 15 | May 22 – May 29 |
| Miami, FL | Frost rare | Frost is rare: late winter to spring; late summer to fall (soil 70°F+). |