When to Plant Cucumbers in Tampa, FL

One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

The USDA zone info for Tampa should be reviewed to estimate when it's a good idea to plant cucumbers.


Planting Calendar for Cucumbers

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

Since cucumbers do not do well in cold weather it is necessary to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant cucumbers
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant cucumbers
Probably not a good time to plant cucumbers

The earliest that you can plant cucumbers in Tampa 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 cucumbers and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your cucumbers may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your cucumbers indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Tampa. You should expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Tampa is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Tampa there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to protect your cucumbers in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Tampa

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 Low25°F
Highest Expected Low30°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 Tampa

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