When to plant in California
Most of California sees its last spring frost between Jan 13 and May 9, and its first fall frost between Oct 17 and Dec 19. The middle of the state is around February 20 and December 2: that's what the dates below use.
Hardiness zones in California: 8b (4%), 9a (9%), 9b (34%), 10a (24%), 10b (21%).
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Harvest | Plant for fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 8 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 7 – Aug 30 | — |
| Pepper | Jan 25 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 12 – Sep 4 | — |
| Cucumber | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 23 – Jul 11 | — |
| Zucchini / Summer squash | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 18 – Jul 27 | — |
| Winter squash | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jul 2 – Aug 6 | — |
| Green beans (bush) | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 23 – Jul 4 | — |
| Peas | — | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Mar 10 – Apr 14 | Sep 12 – Sep 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 12 – Jul 10 | — |
| Lettuce | — | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 9 – Apr 20 | Oct 4 – Oct 18 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 18 – Apr 1 | Oct 23 – Nov 6 |
| Kale | Dec 12 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 19 – Jun 11 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| Broccoli | Dec 19 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 31 – May 5 | Sep 26 – Oct 10 |
| Cabbage | Dec 12 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Apr 3 – May 8 | Sep 23 – Oct 7 |
| Carrot | — | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 10 – May 22 | Sep 23 – Oct 7 |
| Beet | — | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 26 – May 7 | Oct 1 – Oct 15 |
| Radish | — | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Feb 10 – Mar 10 | Oct 24 – Nov 7 |
| Onion (sets) | — | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Apr 26 – May 31 | — |
| Garlic | — | Nov 15 – Dec 6 (fall) | May 25 – Jun 15 next year | — |
| Potato | — | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 30 – Jun 4 | — |
| Sweet potato | Feb 15 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jul 7 – Aug 4 | — |
| Watermelon | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 22 – Jul 27 | — |
| Basil | Feb 15 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 28 – Aug 4 | — |
| Strawberry (June-bearing) | — | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 20 – Apr 17 (once established) | — |
| Sunflower | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 17 – Jul 22 | — |
Dates for a typical spot in California. Colder and higher places plant later, warmer ones earlier: enter your ZIP code for yours, or see the calendar for your zone.
Frost dates around California
| Place | Zone | Last frost | First frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 9b | Feb 2 | Dec 2 |
| Los Angeles | 10b | — | — |
| San Diego | 10b | — | — |
| San Jose | 9b | May 3 | Nov 18 |
| Fresno | 9b | Jan 30 | Dec 11 |
| San Francisco | 10b | — | — |
| Oakland | 10a | Feb 15 | Dec 23 |
| Long Beach | 10b | — | — |
| Pasadena | 10a | — | — |
| Bakersfield | 9b | Jan 31 | Dec 8 |
Average dates from the nearest NOAA weather stations (1991–2020). Click a place for its full planting calendar.