When is the Best Time to Start Your Home Garden in Southern California?

Few aspects of a property add a consistent feeling of accomplishment quite like a home garden. And Southern California’s weather allows for an active garden year round. Of course, some times are better than others. And today, we’re going to break those times down for you aspiring SoCal gardeners!

The Grace of Southern California’s Climate

Climate is at the heart of why so many people want to live in Southern California. It’s also why so many fruits and vegetables thrive in the typical SoCal home garden. We’re spoiled by a moderate climate that nurtures a wide variety of flora throughout much of the year. 

However, SoCal also has a diversity of climates over a relatively small area (not unlike our housing markets)! Anyone who’s spent a significant time in the Greater Los Angeles area knows what we’re talking about. How many summers have you driven from downtown to the valley only to find it 15 degrees hotter? And Angelenos have a profound understanding of the cooling power of sea breezes. 

Because of this unique diversity of climates, a universal guide to gardening in Southern California is impossible. We can steer you to the regional average. However, you may want to consult your specific area’s plant hardiness as determined by the USDA. This can be especially useful if you live in the mountains or desert regions that skew outside of the average LA climate. 

The Frustrating Factor of Freezes and Frosts

Generally, the closer you live to the coast, the more moderate the climate. However, the more inland you go, the more likely you are to be subject to frosts and freezes that can dramatically impact your home garden.

 If you’re in an area where frosts and freezes occur, it’s important to note that the majority of your planting should be completed following the last frost of the year and the majority of your harvesting will precede the first frost. This relies on prediction, but you can get a fairly accurate assessment from the National Weather Association. 

The Best Options for a Beginner’s SoCalHome Garden

While a lot of fruits and veggies can feasibly grow in Southern California’s moderate climate, some require greener thumbs than others. If you’re just getting started with your SoCal home garden, there are several options that are more on the forgiving side. These include: 

Indoor Versus Outdoor Planting

A lot of novice gardeners want to dig right in (literally) with their home garden with an outdoor grow. But it can be beneficial to get started growing indoors before transplanting your growing plants to your outdoor garden. 

Growing indoors allows you to get a headstart independent of the weather’s mercy. This is especially helpful in the more extreme summer months when the unrelenting sunshine and heat create conditions too harsh for fledgling plants. However, if you’re planning on transplanting indoor plants, make sure to make a one or two month adjustment when applying the information in our month-by-month guide below. 

January: The New Year’s Resolution of a Home Garden

Looking for a spring harvest? Planting in January will typically ensure some solid reaping come mid to late spring. A slew of seeds thrive in SoCal’s temperatures during the cooler, wetter months. 

So, if your New Year’s resolution is a cornucopia of a home garden, the beginning of the year is a fantastic time to get started! Not feeling confident about the cooler weather? Then start your growing efforts indoors! 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Celery
• Leeks

February: Beyond the Frost Zone

Most areas in SoCal capable of frost have surpassed their last frost of the year by February. If you’re in such an area, consider this your green light for outdoor growing! This means you can:

1. Start your outdoor home garden from scratch with new planting.
2. Transplant your seedlings from January’s indoor grow to your outdoor garden.
3. Transplant any plants you started prior to January to your outdoor garden.

However, if you’re still expecting freezes and/or frosts in your area, your grow efforts should still be concentrated indoors. 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Cauliflower
• Endives
• Leeks

March: Options Slim for Home Garden Growing

March isn’t quite as kind for starting an outdoor grow as February. Yet, you can still get away with starting a decent amount of crops. You just may need a little more skill (or luck) to pull it off. 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

April: Trick-or-Treating with the Easter Bunny

With Easter approaching, it may seem strange to be thinking about Halloween. But if you want to grow your own autumn pumpkins, April’s a fantastic month to start! Actually, it’s a great time to grace your home garden with gourds all around. The earlier in the month, the better! 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Potatoes
• Sunflowers

May: Home Garden First Harvests and Second Plantings

If you started your growing efforts at the beginning of the year, you may notice some are reaching fruition. That’s right; it’s already harvest time for certain crops! So, May can be a great time to start a second round of certain plants. It’s also a great month for adding completely new plants to your home garden. 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Potatoes

June: Turning Up the Heat on the Home Garden

You may think that the winter months are the harshest for growing, but that’s not the case in Southern California. Here it’s the arid, scorching summers you have to worry about. And June starts to usher in that brutal time for home gardens. 

Still, it’s not like your options for new plants are non-existent. June is also another ideal month for harvesting crops you started in the early months of the year. 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

July: Time to Check Your Soil Moisture

New grow options get even slimmer in July as the heat typically kicks up a notch. It’s worth noting that Southern California is one of those rare places where you can always start a new grow. But some months are more opportune than others. And relatively speaking, July is getting to the bottom of the barrel. 

Since conditions are drying out this month, July can also present a good time to check in with your soil moisture. And those who started new crops at the beginning of the year may see some more harvest action. 

Great time to plant:

• Beans (bush/pole)
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Lima Beans
• Squash (summer)

Okay time to plant:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Swiss Chard
• Tomatoes

August: Dreaming of Fall and Winter Conditions

August is often one of the hottest months in LA, but offers similar prospects for planting in your home garden as July. If you’re planning for a late fall or early winter harvest, this is an ideal time to start those crops. You may want to lean toward the end of the month so that your plants carry over into the more forgiving climates of October. 

Great time to plant:

• Beans (bush/pole)
• Celery
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Lima Beans
• Squash (summer)

Okay time to plant:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Swiss Chard

September: Bring the Party Indoors

September is another scorcher for the Greater Los Angeles area and much of SoCal. It also has the slimmest options for success when starting your outdoor grow. 

So, if your green thumbs are itching, you may be better off focusing on indoor growing prospects. You can then transplant them to your outdoor home garden when the weather simmers. However, the really determined gardeners can still work magic by starting outdoor grows on certain resilient crops like carrots and celery. 

Great time to plant:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Leeks
• Winter Zucchini

Okay time to plant:

• Beans (bush)
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Radishes
• Squash (summer)
• Swiss Chard

October: The Green Light For Your Home Garden Efforts

Ah, the sweet relief of October! Trailing one of the least forgiving months on the calendar for SoCal gardeners, October provides a true bounty for growing options. 

While September is so-so, October is “Sow! Sow!’ Therefore, devote this month to giving that home garden some TLC. And though we’re mainly focusing on the garden in this blog, it’s also a great time for starting up your own backyard orchard with some fruit-bearing trees! 

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Chives

November: Full Speed Ahead, Frost Permitting

November offers another auspicious month for new home gardens, whether you’re starting or continuing your work. Some areas may need to be aware of the frosts and freezes that can wreak havoc on a home vegetable garden. But for the most part, this is a full-speed-ahead month!

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Chives

December: Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Southern California’s moderate climate means that, while a good portion of the country is snowed in, our gardens are hitting their luscious stride. If you’ve already done your planting, you can focus on what you’ve got growing. Or you can plant even more! Again, just be wary of freezes and frosts. Other than that, start dreaming of a green Christmas!

Great time to plant:

Okay time to plant:

• Celery
• Chives