La Mesa, California planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in La Mesa

A 32°F night is not recorded here: it happens in fewer than 1 year in 100, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for San Diego Lindbergh Fld, 2 miles NW of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers. La Mesa shares this station with Chula Vista, so the two cities have the same frost dates and planting calendar.

What to plant each month in La Mesa

The main vegetable season is the cool half of the year: October through March is prime time for greens, roots, peas and cole crops, and many of them can be sown almost year-round because summers rarely get hot. Warm-season crops go in from about March or April through early summer, but 'May gray' and 'June gloom' keep soils cool, so heat lovers such as melons, peppers and eggplant ripen more slowly than inland. Nearly all rain falls between November and March, so summer crops depend entirely on irrigation. The months below follow the planting calendar for Southern California Coast from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.

1. January

   Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, roses, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers

2. February

   Plant: asparagus, azaleas, bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, collard greens, cosmos, dahlias, daylilies, dill, gladioli, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lavenders, leeks, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, onions, parsley, peas, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, roses, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers, zucchini

3. March

   Plant: asparagus, avocados, basil, bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, chives, cilantro, collard greens, cosmos, dahlias, daylilies, dill, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lavenders, lettuce, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, peas, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rosemary, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, wildflowers, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

4. April

   Plant: avocados, basil, bearded irises, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cilantro, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, daylilies, dill, eggplants, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, lavenders, lilies, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, okra, oregano, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rosemary, sage, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

5. May

   Plant: avocados, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, eggplants, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, marigolds, nasturtiums, okra, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rosemary, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

6. June

   Plant: avocados, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, eggplants, gladioli, hollyhocks, lavenders, marigolds, nasturtiums, okra, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

7. July

   Plant: basil, beets, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, dill, marigolds, nasturtiums, peppers, petunias, radishes, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, zinnias, zucchini

8. August

   Plant: bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, carrots, celery, cosmos, cucumbers, daylilies, hollyhocks, lilies, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, sweet corn, sweet peas, swiss chard, zinnias, zucchini

9. September

   Plant: bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, daylilies, green onions, hollyhocks, leeks, lilies, poppies, radishes, saffron, snapdragons, sweet peas, swiss chard, zucchini

10. October

    Plant: azaleas, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, turnips, wildflowers

11. November

    Plant: azaleas, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, cilantro, collard greens, crocuses, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, hyacinths, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers

12. December

    Plant: azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, crocuses, garlic, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, hyacinths, kale, leeks, lettuce, nasturtiums, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in La Mesa

La Mesa's 2 main ZIP codes take their frost dates from 2 different NOAA stations. Every one of them is in zone 10b.

San Diego Lindbergh Fld also supplies the frost dates for San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee and National City, so their planting calendars match La Mesa's.

Nearby cities

• El Cajon, CA zone 10a, last frost Jan 6
• Santee, CA zone 10a
• San Diego, CA zone 10b
• National City, CA zone 10b
• Chula Vista, CA zone 10b
• Encinitas, CA zone 10a, last frost Jan 23