When to plant Winter Squash
Butternut, acorn, kabocha and kin — long-season vines whose hard-shelled fruit stores for months. Harvest once the rind resists a thumbnail and the stem corks, then cure in warmth for a week or two to sweeten and seal.
Companions: Corn, beans, nasturtium
How to grow Winter Squash
Winter Squash is best direct-sown straight into the garden, as it dislikes being transplanted. Give it full sun and space plants about 36 inches apart. It takes roughly 95 days from planting to its first harvest, so count that against your frost dates to be sure it can finish. Classic companions include corn, beans, nasturtium.
Grower's tip: Harvest when the rind is hard and can't be dented by a thumbnail, then cure for storage.
When to plant Winter Squash by USDA zone
Timing shifts with your climate — the same winter squash goes in weeks earlier in a mild zone than a cold one. Find your zone below for its planting window, or open that zone's full calendar.
| Zone | When to plant |
|---|---|
| Zone 1a | Direct sow outdoors Jun 15–Jul 6 |
| Zone 1b | Direct sow outdoors Jun 10–Jul 1 |
| Zone 2a | Direct sow outdoors Jun 5–Jun 26 |
| Zone 2b | Direct sow outdoors May 30–Jun 20 |
| Zone 3a | Direct sow outdoors May 25–Jun 15 |
| Zone 3b | Direct sow outdoors May 20–Jun 10 |
| Zone 4a | Direct sow outdoors May 15–Jun 5 |
| Zone 4b | Direct sow outdoors May 10–May 31 |
| Zone 5a | Direct sow outdoors May 5–May 26 |
| Zone 5b | Direct sow outdoors Apr 30–May 21 |
| Zone 6a | Direct sow outdoors Apr 21–May 12 |
| Zone 6b | Direct sow outdoors Apr 15–May 6 |
| Zone 7a | Direct sow outdoors Apr 7–Apr 28 |
| Zone 7b | Direct sow outdoors Apr 1–Apr 22 |
| Zone 8a | Direct sow outdoors Mar 22–Apr 12 |
| Zone 8b | Direct sow outdoors Mar 15–Apr 5 |
| Zone 9a | Direct sow outdoors Feb 28–Mar 21 |
| Zone 9b | Direct sow outdoors Feb 15–Mar 8 |
| Zone 10a | Direct sow outdoors Jan 31–Feb 21 |
| Zone 10b | Direct sow outdoors Jan 15–Feb 5 |
| Zone 11a | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |
| Zone 11b | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |
| Zone 12a | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |
| Zone 12b | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |
| Zone 13a | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |
| Zone 13b | Direct sow outdoors Jan 1–Jan 22 |