Cucumbers planting calendar for USDA Zone 6a

Western NC mountains, southern PA, central OH, northern MO. Average last spring frost May 1, first fall frost October 1 — a 153-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good

Cucumbers is frost-tender, so timing the outdoor transplant to the last frost matters more here than in warmer zones. Row cover buys 2 weeks of head start.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors

April 3 – April 17

Direct-seed or transplant outdoors

May 8 – May 29

Expected first harvest

July 9 – August 6

Fall planting window

July 16 – August 6

Fall harvest window

September 16 – October 14

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing: 12″
Row spacing: 48″
Seed depth: 1″
Soil temperature: 70–90°F
Frost tolerance: tender
Days to harvest: 55 days

Grower notes for Zone 6a

Trellis for cleaner fruit and lower disease pressure. Successive plantings every 3 weeks keep harvest steady.

Plant near: beans, corn, radish

Keep away from: sage, potatoes

Other cucurbits for Zone 6a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.

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