One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's possible to estimate when it's the best time to plant squash by using the USDA zone info for Fountain Valley.

Planting Calendar for Squash

Frost tolerance for squash:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

It's a bad idea to plant squash until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant squash in Fountain Valley is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant squash and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your squash may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your squash indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on January 31 in Fountain Valley. You should expect an average low temperature of 35°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Fountain Valley and it is different every year. Half of the time in Fountain Valley there is a last frost after January 31 so make sure that you are ready to cover your squash in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fountain Valley

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	35°F
Highest Expected Low	40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 40°F.

Plants to Grow in Fountain Valley

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Fountain Valley.