One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the 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.

A common way of figuring out when it's a good idea to plant zucchini is to use the USDA zone info for Riverside.

Planting Calendar for Zucchini

Frost tolerance for zucchini:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since zucchini do not do well in cold weather you must wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant zucchini in Riverside is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant zucchini and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your zucchini may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your zucchini indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Riverside the average date of last frost happens on February 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Riverside and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Riverside you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to cover your zucchini in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Riverside

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Riverside

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Riverside.