Palm Desert, California planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in Palm Desert

A 32°F night is rare here: it happens in about 11% of years, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Palm Springs Rgnl Airport, 2.3 miles E of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers.

What to plant each month in Palm Desert

The main garden season runs from September through March. Lettuce, brassicas, roots and onions grow through the cool, sunny winter, and frost is light and infrequent. Melons, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are planted January-March so they produce before the intense heat of May. Summer highs above 110°F stop most vegetables except okra, and late-summer plantings of melons and squash are risky because whiteflies peak then. The months below follow the planting calendar for California Low Desert (Coachella and Imperial Valleys) from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.

1. January

   Plant: asparagus, basil, beets, black-eyed susans, cantaloupes, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, kale, leeks, lettuce, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, peppers, petunias, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, zucchini

2. February

   Plant: asparagus, basil, black-eyed susans, cantaloupes, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, hollyhocks, kale, marigolds, oregano, peppers, petunias, poppies, radishes, ranunculus, snapdragons, sunflowers, sweet peas, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

3. March

   Plant: asparagus, black-eyed susans, cantaloupes, cosmos, eggplants, green beans, hollyhocks, kale, marigolds, okra, peppers, petunias, pumpkins, radishes, ranunculus, sunflowers, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

4. April

   Plant: asparagus, cantaloupes, cosmos, marigolds, okra, pumpkins, radishes, sunflowers, zinnias

5. May

   Plant: asparagus, cosmos, marigolds, okra, pumpkins, sunflowers, zinnias

6. June

   Plant: cosmos, marigolds, okra, pumpkins, sunflowers, zinnias

7. July

   Plant: sunflowers

8. August

   Plant: green onions

9. September

   Plant: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, eggplants, garlic, green beans, green onions, lettuce, marigolds, peas, petunias, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips

10. October

    Plant: beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, dill, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, petunias, poppies, radishes, ranunculus, snapdragons, spinach, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers

11. November

    Plant: beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, dill, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lettuce, mints, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, parsley, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, ranunculus, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, turnips, wildflowers

12. December

    Plant: beets, black-eyed susans, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, dill, kale, lettuce, mints, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Palm Desert

All 2 of Palm Desert's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Palm Springs Rgnl Airport, so the dates on this page apply across the city. Every one of them is in zone 10a.

Palm Springs Rgnl Airport also supplies the frost dates for Cathedral City, so their planting calendars match Palm Desert's.

Nearby cities

• Indio, CA zone 10a
• Cathedral City, CA zone 10a
• Beaumont, CA zone 9b, last frost Jan 10
• Hemet, CA zone 9b, last frost Jan 31
• San Jacinto, CA zone 9b, last frost Jan 31
• Yucaipa, CA zone 9b, last frost Jan 27