Planting planner: Fairfield, California
Typical last spring frost January 15 (1 spring in 10 later than February 16). Typical first fall frost December 14 (1 fall in 10 earlier than November 29). Growing season about 336 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 88 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
January
- January 1 to 15: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 1 to 15: Cauliflower (plant out)
- January 15: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- January 29: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- January 29: Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans (sow outdoors)
February
Nothing to start this month.
March
Nothing to start this month.
April
Nothing to start this month.
May
Nothing to start this month.
June
Nothing to start this month.
July
- July 19 to August 2: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
August
- August 8 to 22: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
- September 17: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- September 21: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- September 22: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- September 26: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- September 27: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 1: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
- October 11: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
- October 21: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- October 30 to November 27: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- October 31: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 13 to December 11: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- November 27 to December 18: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- November 29: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
December
- December 4 to 18: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
- December 11 to 25: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- December 18 to January 1: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- December 18 to January 1: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Fairfield (station USC00042934), 2 miles from the center of Fairfield. Planting rules: Colorado State University Extension GardenNotes #720 (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-334 (fall crops), University of Minnesota Extension (garlic). Spring bulbs: plant when the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F, until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension). Full details: https://lastfrostdate.com/frost-dates/california/fairfield/