Midwest Pumpkin and Squash Planting Dates, Pre-Computed by Zone
Stop counting backwards from a frost date you had to look up somewhere else. This table does the math for USDA zones 5b through 8a, the zones that cover Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and most of the Midwest. Dates are typical ranges for each zone; confirm your exact frost dates with your county extension office, then plant with confidence.
Quick answer
In most of Kansas (zones 6a to 7a), direct-sow pumpkins and winter squash between mid-May and early July. Soil should be 65°F or warmer. For a fall harvest, count your variety's days to maturity backwards from your first fall frost and add a two-week buffer.
Missouri runs from zone 5b in the far north to 7a in the south, so the direct-sow window shifts about two weeks across the state: roughly May 15 to June 25 in northern Missouri, and May 5 to July 10 in the southern half. Oklahoma sits mostly in zones 7a to 8a and can start earlier still. Find your zone in the table below and read straight across.
When to plant by zone
| Zone | Typical last spring frost | Direct-sow window (soil 65°F+) | Typical first fall frost | Cities on the 2023 USDA map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5b | May 1-10 | May 15 - June 25 | Oct 1-10 | Lincoln NE, Des Moines IA (parts), northern Missouri |
| 6a | Apr 25 - May 5 | May 10 - July 1 | Oct 5-15 | Topeka KS (parts), Omaha NE (parts), northwest Missouri |
| 6b | Apr 15-30 | May 5 - July 5 | Oct 10-20 | Newton KS, Kansas City MO/KS, Columbia MO, Salina KS |
| 7a | Apr 10-20 | May 1 - July 10 | Oct 20-30 | Wichita KS, St. Louis MO, Springfield MO, OKC, Joplin MO |
| 7b | Apr 1-15 | Apr 25 - July 15 | Oct 25 - Nov 5 | Tulsa OK (parts) |
| 8a | Mar 25 - Apr 5 | Apr 15 - July 20 | Nov 1-15 | Southern OK |
Gardening outside Kansas? The zone rows above are the whole point: frost timing follows your USDA zone, not your state line. Missouri runs 5b in the north to 7a around St. Louis and Springfield, Nebraska and Iowa sit mostly 5b to 6a, and Oklahoma runs 7a into 8a. Find your zone in the last column, then read across. One real difference worth knowing: eastern Missouri holds more summer humidity than central Kansas, which raises powdery mildew pressure late in the season without changing when you plant. The Kansas planting timing guide works through that zone by zone.
Latest safe planting date, by days to maturity
Count backwards from your first fall frost and add roughly two weeks for the fruit to finish and cure. Pre-computed for you:
| Days to maturity | Zone 5b | Zone 6a | Zone 6b | Zone 7a | Zone 7b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 (fast varieties) | June 20 | June 27 | July 3 | July 10 | July 17 |
| 100 (most butternuts) | June 10 | June 17 | June 23 | June 30 | July 7 |
| 110 (most heirloom pumpkins) | May 31 | June 7 | June 13 | June 20 | June 27 |
| 120 (long-season moschata) | May 21 | May 28 | June 3 | June 10 | June 17 |
Planting in July? In zones 6b and warmer, it is not too late
A 90 to 100 day variety sown in early July still beats the frost in most of Kansas, and a later start can help your plants dodge the heaviest squash vine borer pressure of early summer. See our second planting guide for the honest frost math.
The vine borer timing note nobody else gives you
Squash vine borer moths fly heaviest in early to mid summer. Two timing strategies work in the Midwest: plant early enough that vines are large and rooting at the nodes before peak flight, or plant late enough (late June to early July) that your young plants miss it. Or skip the calendar stress entirely with vine borer resistant Cucurbita moschata varieties, the species this whole site is built around.
FAQ
What soil temperature do pumpkin seeds need? 65°F minimum, 70-85°F is ideal. Cold soil rots seed before it sprouts.
Should I start seeds indoors instead? In zones 5b-6a it buys you two to three weeks; start indoors 2-3 weeks before your last frost, no earlier, because cucurbits resent transplanting once rootbound. From 6b south, direct sowing is simpler and usually catches up.
Do these dates apply to all pumpkins and squash? The windows do; the latest-safe-date row depends on your variety's days to maturity, which is printed on every one of our packets and product pages.
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