Planting planner: Stockton, California
Typical last spring frost February 6 (1 spring in 10 later than February 28). Typical first fall frost December 1 (1 fall in 10 earlier than November 15). Growing season about 304 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 99 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 2 to 16: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- January 9 to 23: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- January 9 to 23: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- January 23 to February 6: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 23 to February 6: Cauliflower (plant out)
February
- February 6: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- February 20: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- February 20: 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 6 to 20: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
- July 26 to August 9: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
August
Nothing to start this month.
September
- September 4: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- September 8: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- September 9: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- September 13: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- September 14: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- September 18: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
- September 28: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 8: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- October 18: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 15: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- November 21 to December 19: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
December
- December 5 to January 2: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- December 19 to January 9: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- December 26 to January 9: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Stockton Metro Airport (station USW00023237), 8 miles from the center of Stockton. 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/stockton/