Planting calendar
Zone 10 Planting Calendar (10a & 10b): Printable, by Month
Last updated September 14, 2026
Zone 10 runs winter lows of 30 to 40°F, and is conventionally taken to average its last spring frost around January 20 and its first fall frost around December 25 — about 339 frost-free days. Effectively frost-free. Treat the cool months as your main season and skip cool-season crops entirely from June through September.
Sow frost-tolerant crops (peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, kale, carrots) 6 to 2 weeks before January 20. Plant warm-season crops (beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers) 1 to 3 weeks after it. Sow a second round of greens and roots about 10 to 12 weeks before December 25.
Typical regions in zone 10: Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and parts of Hawaii.
Zone 10 planting chart
Month by month in zone 10
12 of the 12 months have something to plant in zone 10. Rows marked re-sow are succession sowings — the same crop planted again every 14 days for a continuous harvest, up to the last date it can still mature before December 25.
January
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Direct sow outdoors | January 27 - February 3 |
| Carrot | Direct sow outdoors | December 30 - January 6 |
| Kale | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Radish | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Onion | Transplant outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Tomato | Transplant outdoors | January 27 - February 3 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
February
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Direct sow outdoors | January 27 - February 3 |
| Cucumber | Direct sow outdoors | February 3 - February 10 |
| Zucchini | Direct sow outdoors | February 3 - February 10 |
| Pepper | Transplant outdoors | February 3 - February 10 |
| Tomato | Transplant outdoors | January 27 - February 3 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
March
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
April
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
May
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
June
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
July
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
August
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
September
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Carrot | Direct sow for a fall crop | September 8 - September 22 |
| Kale | Direct sow for a fall crop | September 28 - October 12 |
| Peas | Direct sow for a fall crop | September 18 - October 2 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 22 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing October 17 |
October
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Kale | Direct sow for a fall crop | September 28 - October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow for a fall crop | October 3 - October 17 |
| Peas | Direct sow for a fall crop | September 18 - October 2 |
| Radish | Direct sow for a fall crop | October 28 - November 11 |
| Spinach | Direct sow for a fall crop | October 3 - October 17 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
November
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | Start indoors | November 11 - November 25 |
| Pepper | Start indoors | November 11 - November 25 |
| Tomato | Start indoors | November 25 - December 9 |
| Radish | Direct sow for a fall crop | October 28 - November 11 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing November 11 |
December
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | Start indoors | December 23 - December 30 |
| Kale | Start indoors | December 9 - December 23 |
| Tomato | Start indoors | November 25 - December 9 |
| Carrot | Direct sow outdoors | December 30 - January 6 |
| Kale | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Peas | Direct sow outdoors | December 9 - December 23 |
| Radish | Direct sow outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Spinach | Direct sow outdoors | December 9 - December 23 |
| Onion | Transplant outdoors | December 23 - January 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing October 17 |
Every crop, sowing to harvest
One row per crop, with the indoor start where it applies, the outdoor planting window, the second fall sowing where the season allows it, and the earliest realistic harvest.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outdoors | Fall sowing | Re-sow until | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radish | - | Direct sow outdoors: December 23 - January 6 | October 28 - November 11 | November 11 | January 14 - January 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | - | Direct sow outdoors: December 23 - January 6 | October 3 - October 17 | October 17 | February 1 - February 16 |
| Spinach | - | Direct sow outdoors: December 9 - December 23 | October 3 - October 17 | October 17 | January 23 - February 2 |
| Bush beans | - | Direct sow outdoors: January 27 - February 3 | - | October 12 | March 18 - March 28 |
| Zucchini | - | Direct sow outdoors: February 3 - February 10 | - | - | March 25 - April 4 |
| Kale | December 9 - December 23 | Direct sow outdoors: December 23 - January 6 | September 28 - October 12 | October 12 | February 6 - February 21 |
| Peas | - | Direct sow outdoors: December 9 - December 23 | September 18 - October 2 | - | February 2 - February 17 |
| Carrot | - | Direct sow outdoors: December 30 - January 6 | September 8 - September 22 | September 22 | March 10 - March 20 |
| Cucumber | December 23 - December 30 | Direct sow outdoors: February 3 - February 10 | - | - | March 30 - April 14 |
| Tomato | November 25 - December 9 | Transplant outdoors: January 27 - February 3 | - | - | April 2 - April 22 |
| Pepper | November 11 - November 25 | Transplant outdoors: February 3 - February 10 | - | - | April 14 - May 4 |
| Onion | November 11 - November 25 | Transplant outdoors: December 23 - January 6 | - | - | April 2 - April 22 |
Zone 10a vs 10b: what the letter means
Zone 10 covers places whose coldest night of the year averages 30 to 40°F. USDA splits it into two 5-degree halves: 10a (30 to 35°F) and 10b (35 to 40°F).
The letter tells you about winter survival — whether a perennial left in the ground makes it through the coldest night. It says nothing about when your last spring frost arrives, and that date decides every sowing window on this page. San Jose, CA (10a) and Orlando, FL (10a) are both zone 10, yet their typical last frosts are 13 days apart: Jan 12 and Jan 25. And in Los Angeles, CA (10b), a 32°F freeze almost never happens at all.
So for vegetables, ignore the letter. Find the frost dates for the weather station nearest you — the table below covers 6 zone 10 cities — and enter them in the interactive calendar. Every window recalculates from your dates.
Frost dates for cities in zone 10
Same zone, frost dates weeks apart — which is why the calendar asks for your own dates rather than trusting the zone.
| City | Zone | Last frost | 30% | 10% | First frost | 30% | 10% | Frost-free days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA los angeles intl ap | 10b | A 32°F freeze almost never happens here — no frost date | 365 (year-round) | |||||
| San Francisco, CA san francisco intl ap | 10b | Freezes in only 11.6% of years — no typical frost date | 365 (year-round) | |||||
| San Jose, CA san jose · freezes in 76% of years Use these dates | 10a | Jan 12 | Jan 26 | Feb 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 12 | Dec 1 | 347 |
| Phoenix, AZ phoenix sky harbor intl ap | 10a | Freezes in only 17.5% of years — no typical frost date | 365 (year-round) | |||||
| Tampa, FL tampa intl ap | 10a | Freezes in only 34.5% of years — no typical frost date | 365 (year-round) | |||||
| Orlando, FL orlando intl ap · freezes in 60.7% of years Use these dates | 10a | Jan 25 | Feb 4 | Feb 26 | Jan 10 | Jan 1 | Dec 18 | 355 |
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal ; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University) . The zone shown is read from the 2023 USDA map at each station's location.
Growing in zone 10
Effectively frost-free. Treat the cool months as your main season and skip cool-season crops entirely from June through September.
Soil beats calendar. Extension guidance for the hardiest crops is “as soon as the soil can be worked” or “as soon as the soil thaws” — not a fixed date. If you cannot crumble a handful of soil in your fist, wait, whatever the table says. Warm-season crops have a matching rule: beans want 60°F soil, cucumbers and squash 70°F.
Heat is your limiting factor, not frost. With 339 frost-free days, the hard part of the zone 10 year is midsummer. Lettuce and spinach bolt bitter above 80°F, so move them to autumn and late winter rather than fighting July. The fall sowing dates above are the important ones here.
About the bolting warnings. Cool-season crops run to seed and turn bitter in summer heat. The “may bolt in heat” flag above is a rough calendar rule — mid-June to the start of September, the same window across the whole country — because a hardiness zone carries no summer-temperature information at all. In zone 10 treat it as understated; your hot spell starts earlier and runs later, and heat-tolerant varieties plus afternoon shade matter.
Where these dates come from. A USDA hardiness zone describes average annual extreme minimum WINTER temperature — it is a winter-survival rating for perennials, not a frost-date band. The frost dates below are widely-used approximations for each zone, not official USDA figures, and a single zone spans hundreds of miles. Treat them as a default guess and replace them with your own local averages wherever you have them.
You can enter your own frost dates in the interactive calendar and every window on it recalculates from your numbers. Look up your local averages on the NOAA last-spring-freeze map. Note that an “average” frost date is the point where the chance of freezing drops below 50 percent, so for tender crops it is worth waiting a week or two past it.
Other zones: zone 3 , zone 4 , zone 5 , zone 6 , zone 7 , zone 8 , zone 9 . Or use the interactive calendar to check a single month.
Zone 10 questions
When is the last frost in zone 10?
Zone 10 is conventionally taken to average its last spring frost around January 20 and its first fall frost around December 25, giving roughly 339 frost-free days. Be aware that a hardiness zone is defined by winter minimum temperature, not by frost dates — these are widely-used approximations, not official USDA figures. Get your real dates from the NOAA freeze-date map or your county cooperative extension office.
What can I plant now in zone 10?
Use the month-by-month table on this page. The pattern is: frost-tolerant crops like peas, spinach and radishes go in 6 to 2 weeks before January 20; warm-season crops like beans, zucchini and tomatoes go in 1 to 3 weeks after it; and cool-season crops get a second sowing about 10 to 12 weeks before December 25.
Can I grow tomatoes in zone 10?
Yes. In zone 10, start tomato seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before January 20 or buy a seedling, then transplant 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost once nights stay above 50°F. With 339 frost-free days there is comfortable room for any variety, including large beefsteak types.
How many harvests can I get in zone 10?
Two to three rounds a year, with the cool-season crops moved to autumn and late winter rather than midsummer, when heat rather than frost becomes the limiting factor.
Does a raised bed change these dates in zone 10?
Yes, in spring. A raised bed warms 2 to 3 weeks earlier than open ground, so you can bring the early sowings forward by up to two weeks. Autumn dates are unchanged, since the first frost arrives on the same day regardless of your setup.
What is the difference between zone 10a and 10b?
Five degrees in the average coldest night of the year. Zone 10a averages 30 to 35°F at its coldest and zone 10b 35 to 40°F. The letter matters for perennials on the edge of winter hardiness. It does not change vegetable planting dates, which follow your frost dates — the calendar on this page applies to both halves.
Is zone 10a or 10b better for tomatoes?
Neither — the letter does not decide it. 10a and 10b differ only in how cold the coldest winter night gets, and tomatoes grow in summer, long after that night has passed. What matters is the length of your frost-free season. Within zone 10, Orlando, FL (10a) averages 355 frost-free days and San Jose, CA (10a) only 347. Check the city table on this page, or enter your own frost dates in the calendar.
What can I plant in July in zone 10?
In zone 10, July plantings are: re-sow every 14 days — bush beans, carrot, kale, lettuce (leaf), radish and spinach. The July table gives the exact window for each. Cool-season sowings in July may bolt in the heat.
When does fall planting start in zone 10?
Sowings for a fall harvest in zone 10 start around September 8 with carrot and run to about November 11 with radish. Each date is counted back from the average first frost (December 25) by the crop's days to harvest plus two weeks, so a crop sown on time matures before the cold arrives.
Is there a printable PDF of the zone 10 planting calendar?
Not as a download yet. The chart and the month-by-month tables on this page print cleanly — use your browser's Print command and the menus, ads and questions are left off the page. A downloadable version is on the way.
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