Planting planner: Salinas, California
Typical last spring frost January 29 (1 spring in 10 later than March 1). Typical first fall frost December 10 (1 fall in 10 earlier than November 21). Growing season about 325 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 90 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: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- January 1 to 15: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- January 15 to 29: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 15 to 29: Cauliflower (plant out)
- January 29: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
February
- February 12: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- February 12: Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans (sow outdoors)
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 15 to 29: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
August
- August 4 to 18: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
- September 13: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- September 17: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- September 18: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- September 22: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- September 23: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- September 27: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 7: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
- October 17: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- October 27: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 13 to December 11: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- November 21: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- November 27 to December 25: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
December
- December 11 to January 1: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- December 18 to January 1: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
- December 25 to January 8: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Salinas Municipal Airport (station USW00023233), 2 miles from the center of Salinas. 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/salinas/