When to plant winter squash and pumpkins in Baker City, OR

Plant winter squash and pumpkins in the garden in Baker City May 25 – Jun 15, either as seeds or as young plants started indoors Apr 27 – May 4.

Moderate Plant seeds or young plants

Why these dates

Baker City's typical last spring frost is May 25. Frost kills winter squash and pumpkins, 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. The season is a little tight here, so an early variety is the safer choice.

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: Moderate
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 4 feet apart (vines spread)
Planting depth: 1 inch deep
Frost: Killed by frost
First harvest: About 100 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 15, 4 feet apart (vines spread). 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: Cut when the rind resists a fingernail and the stem is dry, before a hard frost. Cure in a warm room for two weeks.

Varieties that do well here

Delicata
Sugar Pie pumpkin
Sweet Meat (an Oregon heirloom)

Watch out for

A short or cool season. Delicata and other fast varieties ripen far more reliably here than big pumpkins.

Long season. Harvest before hard frost and cure in a warm spot for storage.

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 winter squash and pumpkins in Baker City?

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

When should I start winter squash and pumpkins 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.

Also plant in Baker City around the same time

Planting dates for winter squash and pumpkins in nearby areas

Bend and Redmond, OR Jun 9–30
Klamath Falls, OR Jun 9–30
Burns, OR Jun 11 – Jul 2

Full planting calendar for Baker City · Winter squash and pumpkins in every city