What can I plant in San Diego, and when? (month-by-month garden calendar)
In San Diego you garden in two seasons: plant cool-season crops like lettuce, carrots, broccoli and peas from September through early spring, and warm-season crops like tomatoes, beans and squash from March (coast) or April (inland) through summer. That means November, when much of the country is shutting down, is prime planting time here.
- Cool-season planting
- September to early spring
- Warm-season planting
- Mid-March (coast) / April (inland) through summer
- Downtown climate zone
- Sunset zone 24
- Free help
- (858) 822-6910
Lettuce, carrots, broccoli, peas, spinach, beets
Tomatoes, beans, squash, corn, peppers
Marine coast; County of San Diego GIS layer
UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County hotline
The short version
- UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County say to start the winter vegetable garden in September and keep planting through November
- On the coast, tomatoes can go in from March to July; inland, the window is April to June, per the Master Gardener planting guide
- Short-day bulb onions are the ones to plant here, October to December on the coast
- San Diego County's own GIS map uses Sunset climate zones: downtown is zone 24, El Cajon 23, Escondido 21
- The free UC Master Gardener hotline answers garden questions at (858) 822-6910 or Help@mastergardenersd.org
San Diego has two vegetable seasons: cool-season crops go in from September into spring, and warm-season crops go in from mid-March (coast) or April (inland) through summer. We built this calendar from the San Diego County Vegetable Planting Guide by Vincent Lazaneo of UC Cooperative Extension, published by the UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County, and checked it on November 3, 2026. The guide itself warns that planting windows can shift by several weeks from year to year. The surprise for newcomers: fall is planting season here, not cleanup season.
San Diego vegetable planting calendar (coastal areas)
Lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets (September to December)
Lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets (cont.) (January to April)
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower plants (September to December)
Short-day bulb onions (October to December)
Tomatoes (transplants) (March to July)
Peppers and eggplant (transplants) (April to June)
- 1SepStart the winter garden
- 2MarCoastal warm-season planting begins
- 3NovStill planting now
Source: San Diego County Vegetable Planting Guide, UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County (coastal regions 1 and 2), checked Nov 3, 2026. Inland windows are shorter; see the table below.
What can I plant in San Diego in November?
In November you can still plant nearly every cool-season vegetable: lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, carrots, beets, radishes, peas, turnips, and broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from nursery plants. The Master Gardeners' sample calendar says to keep planting winter vegetables in November, thin early lettuce and spinach, pull weeds and keep beds moist. Short-day bulb onions also go in now (October to December on the coast, mid-October to December inland). Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seed is a coastal-only option this late: the guide lists seeding through December on the coast but only through October inland.
Lettuce, spinach and other greens can go in from September; on the coast the leaf lettuce window runs to April.
When do I plant tomatoes in San Diego?
Plant tomato transplants from March to July on the coast and April to June inland. The guide classes tomatoes, snap beans, sweet corn and sweet potato as tender crops that should wait until frost danger has passed, and peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons and squash as very tender crops whose seed can rot in cold soil. That's why inland gardens start about a month later.
Coast vs. inland planting windows for common crops
| Crop | Coastal (regions 1-2) | Inland (regions 3-4) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato (plants) | Mar-Jul | Apr-Jun | Warm |
| Snap and pole beans | Mid-Mar-Aug | Apr-mid-Aug | Warm |
| Summer squash | Mid-Mar-Aug | Apr-Jul | Warm |
| Sweet corn, cucumbers | Mid-Mar-Jul | Apr-Jul | Warm |
| Peppers (plants) | Apr-Jul | Apr-Jun | Warm |
| Melons, winter squash, okra | Apr-Jun | Apr-Jun | Warm |
| Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower | Plants Sep-Feb; seed Aug-Dec | Plants Sep-Feb; seed Aug-Oct | Cool |
| Carrots | Sep-Apr | Sep-Mar | Cool |
| Leaf lettuce, spinach | Sep-Apr | Sep-Mar | Cool |
| Bush peas | Sep-Mar | Jan-Mar | Cool |
| Potatoes | Feb-Mar and mid-Aug-Sep | Mid-Feb-Apr and mid-Aug-Sep | Cool |
Tomato (plants)
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Mar-Jul
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-Jun
- Season
- Warm
Snap and pole beans
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Mid-Mar-Aug
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-mid-Aug
- Season
- Warm
Summer squash
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Mid-Mar-Aug
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-Jul
- Season
- Warm
Sweet corn, cucumbers
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Mid-Mar-Jul
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-Jul
- Season
- Warm
Peppers (plants)
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Apr-Jul
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-Jun
- Season
- Warm
Melons, winter squash, okra
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Apr-Jun
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Apr-Jun
- Season
- Warm
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Plants Sep-Feb; seed Aug-Dec
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Plants Sep-Feb; seed Aug-Oct
- Season
- Cool
Carrots
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Sep-Apr
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Sep-Mar
- Season
- Cool
Leaf lettuce, spinach
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Sep-Apr
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Sep-Mar
- Season
- Cool
Bush peas
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Sep-Mar
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Jan-Mar
- Season
- Cool
Potatoes
- Coastal (regions 1-2)
- Feb-Mar and mid-Aug-Sep
- Inland (regions 3-4)
- Mid-Feb-Apr and mid-Aug-Sep
- Season
- Cool
Source: San Diego County Vegetable Planting Guide (V. Lazaneo, UC Cooperative Extension), UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County, checked Nov 3, 2026
On the San Diego coast, tomato transplants can go in from March to July.
What growing zone is San Diego?
Most of coastal San Diego is Sunset climate zone 24, with zones 23, 21 and colder zones as you move inland and uphill. San Diego County's own GIS map layer uses Sunset zones (not USDA zones) because they account for summer heat, wind, humidity and ocean influence, not just winter lows; the layer includes zones 3, 11, 13 and 18 through 24. The USDA's 2023 hardiness map is based only on the average coldest winter night, in 10-degree zones and 5-degree half zones; look up your ZIP on the USDA site if a plant tag lists a USDA zone. We looked up four sample points on the County layer:
Sunset climate zones from the coast inland
- Zone 24: marine coastTender perennials often bloom year-round
Downtown San Diego
- Avg winter low
- about 48°F in San Diego
- Extreme cold
- 35-28°F
- Zone 23: coastal thermal beltSunset calls it one of the best areas for avocados
El Cajon; Mira Mesa area
- Avg winter low
- 43-48°F
- Extreme cold
- 34-27°F
- Zone 21: thermal beltAlternates between ocean and interior air
Escondido
- Typical lows
- rarely far below 30°F
- Extreme (every 10-20 yrs)
- 28-25°F
- Zone 18: interior cold-air basinLittle ocean influence; hard on fuchsias
Julian (County layer)
- 20-year extreme low
- 22-17°F
- All-time lows
- 22-7°F
Zones from County of San Diego GIS (Sunset_Zones layer, point lookups Nov 3, 2026); temperatures from Sunset's zone descriptions. Your block may differ, especially in canyons and valleys.
Where can I get free garden help in San Diego?
- UC Master Gardener hotline: free, research-based answers on pests, plant choice and first gardens, (858) 822-6910 or Help@mastergardenersd.org
- Water-wise yard classes: the San Diego County Water Authority runs free Landscape Makeover classes; if you're pulling out lawn, read the turf replacement rebate tip first
- Free mulch: City of San Diego residents can get up to 2 cubic yards free with proof of residency
- Water use: a vegetable bed uses far less than a lawn, but check what's changing on your 2027 water bill
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Nature runs on its own schedule: seasons shift with the weather and the ocean, so treat the timing here as typical, not guaranteed.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County (V. Lazaneo, UC Cooperative Extension) · Checked November 3, 2026 (undated document)
Coastal and inland planting windows, frost-tolerance groups, regions 1-4
UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County · Checked November 3, 2026
September-December monthly tasks; fall = cool season
- PrimarySunset_Zones map layer
County of San Diego GIS · Checked November 3, 2026
Zones present in the county; point lookups for downtown, El Cajon, Mira Mesa area, Escondido, Julian
- BackgroundSunset climate zones, San Diego area
Sunset · Checked November 3, 2026
Zone descriptions and winter low temperatures
USDA Agricultural Research Service · Checked November 3, 2026
2023 map, based on average annual extreme minimum temperature, 10°F zones and 5°F half zones
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources · Checked November 3, 2026
Free hotline number and email