When to plant cucumbers
The rule
Days to maturity: 50–65 days [src]
Method: Start indoors or direct-sow. Frost tolerance: frost-tender (derived from the planting timing above).
Cucumbers is frost-tender; it's grown as a spring/summer crop.
Cucumbers planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant / sow | Sow for fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2a | April 30 – May 7 | May 21 – June 4 | — |
| Zone 2b | May 8 – May 15 | May 29 – June 12 | — |
| Zone 3b | May 3 – May 10 | May 24 – June 7 | — |
| Zone 4a | April 27 – May 4 | May 18 – June 1 | — |
| Zone 4b | April 23 – April 30 | May 14 – May 28 | — |
| Zone 5a | April 25 – May 2 | May 16 – May 30 | — |
| Zone 5b | April 17 – April 24 | May 8 – May 22 | — |
| Zone 6a | April 13 – April 20 | May 4 – May 18 | — |
| Zone 6b | April 6 – April 13 | April 27 – May 11 | — |
| Zone 7a | March 29 – April 5 | April 19 – May 3 | — |
| Zone 7b | March 20 – March 27 | April 10 – April 24 | — |
| Zone 8a | March 9 – March 16 | March 30 – April 13 | — |
| Zone 8b | February 27 – March 6 | March 20 – April 3 | — |
| Zone 9a | February 13 – February 20 | March 6 – March 20 | — |
| Zone 9b | January 16 – January 23 | February 6 – February 20 | — |
| Zone 10a | December 29 – January 5 | January 19 – February 2 | — |
| Zone 10b | January 3 – January 10 | January 24 – February 7 | — |
What you'll need
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Calendar computed 2026-09-27. Sources: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension — “Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden”; University of Georgia Extension — Vegetable Planting Chart (Circular C963) (days to maturity); NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals (frost); USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map.