Santa Barbara, California planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in Santa Barbara

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 Santa Barbara, 0.8 miles ESE 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 Santa Barbara

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 Santa Barbara

All 7 of Santa Barbara's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Santa Barbara, so the dates on this page apply across the city. The hardiness zone is 10a in 93105, 93117, and 10b in 93101, 93103, 93108, 93109, 93110.

Nearby cities

• San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA zone 10a
• Oxnard, CA zone 10b
• Camarillo, CA zone 10a
• Santa Maria, CA zone 9b, last frost Feb 4
• Simi Valley, CA zone 10a
• Santa Clarita, CA zone 10a