Do you want to grow squash seeds in Arkansas, but don’t know when to start them?
Starting squash seeds is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Squash Seeds must be consistenly watered, receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, & be kept at room temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you don’t consistently water them they won’t germinate. If they aren’t in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit they won’t sprout. And if it receives 8 hours of sunlight the plant itself won’t grow.
- Because Arkansas’s growing season is not long enough, squash seeds cannot be sowed outside and should only be started indoors.
Because of this, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to start squash seeds indoors in Arkansas:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Squash, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Start Squash Seeds Indoors
Depending on the type of squash, it takes roughly 28-42 days (4 to 6 weeks) to grow squash from seed indoors before you can transplant them into your garden.
The approximate date of when you should start your squash seeds indoors can be found by:
- Finding the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 42 days from it
You can also find the average last frost date for most major cities in the below chart that I have created:
To help ensure the greatest success of your squash seeds germinating you should:
- Use a heat mat to ensure the gardening pot remains at 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Use a grow light to control how much light your squash seeds receive
- Water your seeds with a spray bottle to ensure your seeds are not overwatered
It should also be noted that you will not want to introduce your squash plants into your garden until 2 weeks after your last frost or else your plant will potentially die or not bear vegetables.
If you want to learn WHEN to start ANY Vegetable Seed in Arkansas, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.
