Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. 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 a good idea to plant squash by checking out the USDA zone info for Jackson.

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 necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

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

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Jackson. You should expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Jackson is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Jackson you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your squash if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Jackson

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-20°F
Highest Expected Low	-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Jackson

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