When to plant / Pumpkins
When to plant pumpkins
Plant pumpkins after the last spring frost, once the soil is warm, and no later than 70 days before the first fall frost so the quickest variety can finish. Across the 39 U.S. cities on this site the window opens between Feb 9 (Sacramento, CA) and May 13 (Concord, NH) and the last sensible sowing falls between Jul 22 and Sep 29.
The planting rule for pumpkins, in plain words
Pumpkins are frost-tender and need warm soil. Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: plant after all danger of frost is over
, when the soil temperature at a depth of 4 inches is above 60 °F.
University of Minnesota Extension says Transplant pumpkins and winter squash into the soil when soil temperatures reach at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
and Utah State: Pumpkins should be planted when soils are 65ºF or after frost danger has past.
The end of the window is arithmetic. Clemson: Maturity of pumpkins varies from 70 to 120 days, depending on growing conditions.
Counting the shortest figure, 70 days, back from a station's first fall frost gives the last date a quick variety can be sown and still finish; counting 120 days back gives the deadline for the slowest. Both appear in the table. Transplants shorten the outdoor season: Minnesota says The seedlings take about four weeks from seeding to transplanting.
, so the indoor column is four weeks ahead of the frost date. For the harvest end, Minnesota says Pick winter squash and pumpkins before a hard freeze.
and that A light frost that kills the vine will usually not harm the fruit.
, so the table uses each station's first 28°F date as the pick-by date.
Soil temperature for pumpkins
Minimum soil temperature for pumpkins in the cited sources: 60°F at 4 inches (Clemson: above 60°F at 4 inches; Minnesota and Utah State say 65°F). A frost date cannot see the soil, so take a morning reading before trusting the window; the soil temperature guide covers every crop.
Pumpkins: planting dates for 39 U.S. cities
The rule above applied to each station's own NOAA normals, earliest first. City links open that station's full calendar.
| City | Last spring frost (32°F) | Start seeds indoors | Direct sow (or transplant) | Last sowing (70-day variety) | Last sowing (120-day variety) | Pick by (first 28°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | Feb 9 | Jan 12 – Feb 9 | Feb 9 – Sep 24 | Sep 24 | Aug 5 | Dec 20 |
| Houston, TX | Feb 18 | Jan 21 – Feb 18 | Feb 18 – Sep 29 | Sep 29 | Aug 10 | Dec 26 |
| Austin, TX | Feb 19 | Jan 22 – Feb 19 | Feb 19 – Sep 27 | Sep 27 | Aug 8 | Dec 21 |
| San Antonio, TX | Mar 1 | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Mar 1 – Sep 22 | Sep 22 | Aug 3 | Dec 13 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | Mar 8 | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | Mar 8 – Sep 16 | Sep 16 | Jul 28 | Dec 6 |
| Seattle, WA | Mar 8 | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | Mar 8 – Sep 12 | Sep 12 | Jul 24 | Dec 9 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 16 | Feb 16 – Mar 16 | Mar 16 – Sep 8 | Sep 8 | Jul 20 | Dec 6 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 20 | Feb 20 – Mar 20 | Mar 20 – Sep 12 | Sep 12 | Jul 24 | Dec 5 |
| Birmingham, AL | Mar 27 | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | Mar 27 – Sep 3 | Sep 3 | Jul 15 | Nov 27 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Mar 27 | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | Mar 27 – Aug 31 | Aug 31 | Jul 12 | Nov 19 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 28 | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Sep 8 | Sep 8 | Jul 20 | Dec 1 |
| New York City | Apr 1 | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 1 – Sep 9 | Sep 9 | Jul 21 | Nov 30 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Apr 2 | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Sep 1 | Sep 1 | Jul 13 | Nov 22 |
| Louisville, KY | Apr 3 | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Aug 26 | Aug 26 | Jul 7 | Nov 16 |
| Raleigh, NC | Apr 3 | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Aug 26 | Aug 26 | Jul 7 | Nov 18 |
| St. Louis, MO | Apr 3 | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Aug 25 | Aug 25 | Jul 6 | Nov 13 |
| Charlotte, NC | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | Apr 4 – Aug 25 | Aug 25 | Jul 6 | Nov 14 |
| Richmond, VA | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | Apr 4 – Aug 26 | Aug 26 | Jul 7 | Nov 17 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 6 | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | Apr 6 – Aug 30 | Aug 30 | Jul 11 | Nov 21 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 6 | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | Apr 6 – Aug 24 | Aug 24 | Jul 5 | Nov 14 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 12 | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | Apr 12 – Aug 14 | Aug 14 | Jun 25 | Nov 2 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 16 | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 16 – Aug 18 | Aug 18 | Jun 29 | Nov 6 |
| Indianapolis, IN | Apr 16 | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 16 – Aug 13 | Aug 13 | Jun 24 | Nov 2 |
| Des Moines, IA | Apr 17 | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 17 – Aug 8 | Aug 8 | Jun 19 | Oct 28 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 20 | Mar 23 – Apr 20 | Apr 20 – Aug 15 | Aug 15 | Jun 26 | Nov 4 |
| Omaha, NE | Apr 21 | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | Apr 21 – Aug 2 | Aug 2 | Jun 13 | Oct 23 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 21 | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | Apr 21 – Aug 15 | Aug 15 | Jun 26 | Nov 5 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Apr 22 – Aug 10 | Aug 10 | Jun 21 | Oct 30 |
| Cleveland, OH | Apr 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Apr 22 – Aug 22 | Aug 22 | Jul 3 | Nov 11 |
| Hartford, CT | Apr 24 | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | Apr 24 – Aug 4 | Aug 4 | Jun 15 | Oct 26 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Apr 24 | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | Apr 24 – Aug 11 | Aug 11 | Jun 22 | Nov 2 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 25 | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | Apr 25 – Aug 1 | Aug 1 | Jun 12 | Oct 22 |
| Albany, NY | Apr 28 | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | Apr 28 – Aug 1 | Aug 1 | Jun 12 | Oct 21 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | Apr 28 | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | Apr 28 – Aug 7 | Aug 7 | Jun 18 | Oct 30 |
| Portland, ME | May 1 | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 1 – Aug 1 | Aug 1 | Jun 12 | Oct 21 |
| Madison, WI | May 2 | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 2 – Jul 27 | Jul 27 | Jun 7 | Oct 17 |
| Burlington, VT | May 4 | Apr 6 – May 4 | May 4 – Jul 30 | Jul 30 | Jun 10 | Oct 19 |
| Denver, CO | May 6 | Apr 8 – May 6 | May 6 – Jul 28 | Jul 28 | Jun 8 | Oct 16 |
| Concord, NH | May 13 | Apr 15 – May 13 | May 13 – Jul 22 | Jul 22 | Jun 2 | Oct 8 |
"Season too short" means the 120-day deadline falls before the last frost date, so only a quicker variety fits between the two frosts without protection. In the longest seasons the arithmetic runs into late summer; it counts frost only and says nothing about heat. The pick-by column is the station's 50% first 28°F date; where NOAA cannot compute it the 32°F date is used.
3 frost-free stations are left out. Not in the table? The planner takes any pair of frost dates.
Three cities, one rule
- Sacramento, California — last spring frost Feb 9, so direct sow (or transplant) Feb 9 – Sep 24; start seeds indoors Jan 12 – Feb 9; last sowing for a 70-day variety Sep 24. 297 frost-free days in all.
- Kansas City, Missouri — last spring frost Apr 12, so direct sow (or transplant) Apr 12 – Aug 14; start seeds indoors Mar 15 – Apr 12; last sowing for a 70-day variety Aug 14. 194 frost-free days in all.
- Concord, New Hampshire — last spring frost May 13, so direct sow (or transplant) May 13 – Jul 22; start seeds indoors Apr 15 – May 13; last sowing for a 70-day variety Jul 22. 140 frost-free days in all.
Questions about planting pumpkins
When can I plant pumpkins outside?
After the last spring frost, once the soil is at least 60°F. The frost date is Feb 9 in Sacramento, CA and May 13 in Concord, NH; the soil reading can lag it by weeks in a cold spring.
When is it too late to plant pumpkins?
Count the variety's days to maturity back from the first fall frost. For a 70-day variety the last sowing is Sep 24 in Sacramento, CA and Jul 22 in Concord, NH; a 120-day variety needs to be in 50 days sooner.
Should I start pumpkins indoors?
Minnesota says seedlings take about four weeks from seeding to transplanting, so the indoor column is four weeks ahead of the frost date: Jan 12 – Feb 9 in Sacramento, CA. Transplants matter most where the long-variety column says the season is too short.
How many pumpkins cities have room for a 120-day variety?
39 of the 39 cities in the table can sow a 120-day variety on or after the last frost date and still finish before the first fall frost. The others need a quicker variety or season extension.
When do I harvest pumpkins?
Before a hard freeze, per Minnesota; a light frost that kills the vine usually does not harm the fruit. The pick-by column uses each station's first 28°F date: Dec 20 in Sacramento, CA.
Related planting dates
- When to plant zucchini — from the last spring frost date to 1 week after it
- When to plant cucumbers — from the last spring frost date to 1 week after it
- When to plant sunflowers — after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed
- All crops · calendars by city · cool-season vs warm-season crops
Sources for this page
| Source | Used for | Read |
|---|---|---|
| NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 | 50% probability last spring and first fall 32°F and 28°F dates for each station | 2026-10-16 |
| Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC, Pumpkins & Winter Squash | quoted timing, soil temperature, maturity or depth statements | 2026-10-23 |
| University of Minnesota Extension, Growing pumpkins and winter squash in home gardens | quoted timing, soil temperature, maturity or depth statements | 2026-10-23 |
| Utah State University Extension, How to Grow Pumpkins in Your Garden | quoted timing, soil temperature, maturity or depth statements | 2026-10-23 |
Every date in the table is arithmetic on the station's NOAA normal and the offset stated by the source; the quoted sentences are the only figures on this page that are not computed. Normals are 30-year averages and describe the station, not your yard. Rules checked 2026-10-23; see the methodology page.