Plant Zucchini in Zone 4b

Zone 4b averages 146 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around May 5 to a first fall frost around September 28. Zucchini needs roughly 55 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 38 percent of that window. Zucchini is a tender crop, which is what decides where in the window it belongs.

Because zucchini needs a head start, sow seed indoors around Apr 14, about 3 weeks ahead of the Zone 4b last frost. Transplants go out around May 19. Starting earlier than that in Zone 4b usually backfires: plants outgrow their cells and stall when they finally hit cold soil. At 55 days to harvest, a 146-day Zone 4b season has room for about 2 sowings, so stagger them rather than planting everything at once.

Yes. Sow zucchini by July 7 in Zone 4b. That is 83 days before the average first frost, which covers the 55 days to maturity plus about two weeks for the slower growth that comes with shortening days, plus a two week margin because frost kills zucchini outright.

One midsummer sowing of zucchini replaces the spring plants right as squash vine borer takes them out.