When to plant zucchini and summer squash in Baker City, OR

Plant zucchini and summer squash in the garden in Baker City May 25 – Jun 22, either as seeds or as young plants started indoors Apr 27 – May 4.

Easy Plant seeds or young plants

Why these dates

Baker City's typical last spring frost is May 25. Frost kills zucchini and summer squash, so planting starts once frost risk drops, around May 25. Keep row cover or a frost blanket handy for the first couple of weeks, since a late frost is still possible.

High desert and mountains. Central and high eastern Oregon. Frost is possible almost any month. Use row covers, wall-o-water or cloches for warm crops, and choose short-season varieties.

Difficulty: Easy
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 3 feet apart
Planting depth: 1 inch deep
Frost: Killed by frost
First harvest: About 55 days after planting

Step by step

Start seeds indoors Apr 27 – May 4 in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
Plant them in the garden May 25 – Jun 22, 3 feet apart. If you plant seeds instead, sow them 1 inch deep.
Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
Harvest: Pick zucchini at 6 to 8 inches. Miss a few days and you'll have a baseball bat.

Varieties that do well here

Black Beauty
Costata Romanesco
Early Prolific Straightneck

Watch out for

Powdery mildew late in the season. Remove the worst leaves and keep watering at the base.

Two plants feed most families. Pick fruit small and often.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Baker City, OR?

Typically May 25. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by June 16. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Baker City Municipal Airport.

Is it too late to plant zucchini and summer squash in Baker City?

The spring planting window runs through June 22. Later plantings may not have time to produce before the first fall frost, which usually arrives around September 15.

When should I start zucchini and summer squash from seed indoors in Baker City?

April 27 to May 4, which is 4 to 3 weeks before the May 25 planting date. Or buy young plants at a garden center instead.