Planting calendar

When to plant cucumbers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a. Average last spring frost: 04-25. This calendar gives you the indoor start, transplant, and direct-sow dates for Cucumis sativus.

Pennsylvania planting dates for cucumbers

PhaseDate in PennsylvaniaNotes
Start seeds indoorsApril 43 weeks before last frost
Transplant outdoorsMay 92 weeks after last frost
Direct sow outsideMay 21 weeks after last frost

Why these dates

Cucumbers germinate quickly in warm soil (70F+) but get destroyed by cucumber beetles - row covers until flowering are essential in much of the US.

The dates above are anchored to Pennsylvania's average last spring frost date of 04-25, with offsets standard across university Extension publications. For zone-specific local timing, use the frost date lookup tool with your ZIP code.

More on growing cucumbers

The full growing guide for cucumbers - varieties, soil, fertilization, pests, harvest, storage - is here: Cucumbers growing guide.

More Pennsylvania planting information

Sources