Planting planner: Irvine, California
Typical last spring frost January 5 (1 spring in 10 later than February 2). Typical first fall frost December 25 (1 fall in 10 earlier than December 3). Growing season about 365 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 50 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 5: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- January 19: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- January 19: 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 30 to August 13: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
August
- August 19 to September 2: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
- September 28: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 2: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- October 3: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- October 7: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- October 8: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- October 12: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
- October 20 to November 17: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- October 22: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 1: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- November 3 to December 1: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- November 11: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
- November 17 to December 8: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- November 24 to December 8: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
December
- December 1 to 15: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- December 3: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- December 8 to 22: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- December 8 to 22: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- December 22 to January 5: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- December 22 to January 5: Cauliflower (plant out)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Tustin Irvine Ranch (station USC00049087), 2 miles from the center of Irvine. 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/irvine/