When to plant cucumbers
Cucumbers are frost-tender: plant them out only after your last spring frost. Direct sowing works well once soil reaches 65°F; transplants need careful handling of the roots.
- Start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Transplant outside 2–3 weeks after the last spring frost.
- Sow seeds outdoors 1–3 weeks after the last spring frost.
- For a fall crop, sow 9–11 weeks before the first fall frost.
About 55 days from planting to harvest.
Get exact dates for your garden
Planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Transplant | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2a | May 24 | Apr 26 – May 3 | Jun 7 – Jun 14 | — |
| 3b | May 17 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 31 – Jun 7 | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| 4a | May 12 | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 26 – Jun 2 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| 4b | May 8 | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 22 – May 29 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| 5a | May 3 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| 5b | May 1 | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 15 – May 22 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | May 13 – May 20 | Aug 1 – Aug 15 |
| 6b | Apr 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | May 6 – May 13 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| 7a | Apr 16 | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 30 – May 7 | Aug 9 – Aug 23 |
| 7b | Apr 5 | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | Aug 16 – Aug 30 |
| 8a | Mar 29 | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| 8b | Mar 16 | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 30 – Apr 6 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| 9a | Mar 3 | Feb 3 – Feb 10 | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Sep 9 – Sep 23 |
| 9b | Feb 20 | Jan 23 – Jan 30 | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| 10a | Mar 2 | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Sep 15 – Sep 29 |
Zone rows use the median frost dates of all ZIP codes in that zone. Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so two places in the same zone can have frost dates weeks apart — use your ZIP code for real dates.
When to plant cucumbers in major cities
| City | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Mar 13 | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | Sep 1 – Sep 15 |
| Portland, OR | Feb 25 | Jan 28 – Feb 4 | Mar 11 – Mar 18 | Sep 15 – Sep 29 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 25 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 9 – May 16 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Denver, CO | Apr 30 | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 14 – May 21 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | May 7 – May 14 | Jul 31 – Aug 14 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 10 | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 27 | Mar 30 – Apr 6 | May 11 – May 18 | Aug 9 – Aug 23 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 20 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | May 4 – May 11 | Aug 8 – Aug 22 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| New York, NY | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | Sep 1 – Sep 15 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 29 | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | Aug 18 – Sep 1 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 1 | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 25 | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 2 | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Sep 13 – Sep 27 |
Growing cucumbers: quick facts
| Frost tolerance | Very tender: damaged by frost and stalled by cold; plant once nights stay above 50°F |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature | at least 60°F to germinate; 70–95°F is ideal |
| Planting depth | ½–1 in |
| Spacing | 12 in (trellised) to 36 in |
| Germination | 3–10 days |
| Days to harvest | about 55 days from planting out |
Typical figures from university extension planting guides. Seed packets give the best numbers for a specific variety.