When to plant winter squash / pumpkin in San Francisco
Winter squash / Pumpkin is frost-tender, so every date keys off San Francisco's last spring frost.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Jul 6 – Jul 27
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Sep 29 – Nov 3
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
85 – 120 d
From sowing to first pick.
Common questions
When can I sow winter squash / pumpkin outdoors in San Francisco?
Direct-sow around early July (Jul 6–Jul 27) in San Francisco, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will winter squash / pumpkin be ready to harvest in San Francisco?
Expect to harvest from around late September (Sep 29–Nov 3) in San Francisco, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
How long is the growing season in San Francisco?
San Francisco has roughly 365 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow winter squash / pumpkin to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow winter squash / pumpkin 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and San Francisco's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.