Planting planner: San Jose, California
Typical last spring frost January 12 (1 spring in 10 later than February 14). Typical first fall frost December 22 (1 fall in 10 earlier than December 1). Growing season about 347 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 76 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 12: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- January 26: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- January 26: 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 27 to August 10: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
August
- August 16 to 30: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
- September 25: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- September 29: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- September 30: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 4: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- October 5: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- October 9: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
- October 19: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
- October 27 to November 24: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- October 29: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 8: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
- November 10 to December 8: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- November 24 to December 15: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
December
- December 1 to 15: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
- December 1: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- December 8 to 22: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- December 15 to 29: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- December 15 to 29: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- December 29 to January 12: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- December 29 to January 12: Cauliflower (plant out)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for San Jose (station USW00023293), 7 miles from the center of San Jose. 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/san-jose/