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.

In Scotts Valley you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant squash by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Squash

Frost tolerance for squash:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since squash require warm weather it is important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant squash in Scotts Valley 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 squash and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your squash may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your squash indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Scotts Valley. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Scotts Valley and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Scotts Valley there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your squash if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Scotts Valley

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 Scotts Valley

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