Union City, California planting calendar and frost dates
Union City is in USDA hardiness zone 10a, and frost is rare: a 32°F night happens in about 45% of years.
Frost dates in Union City
A 32°F night is rare here: it happens in about 45% of years, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hayward Air Terminal, 2.1 miles WSW of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers. Union City shares this station with Hayward, so the two cities have the same frost dates and planting calendar.
What to plant each month in Union City
Because frost is rare and light, cool-season crops (brassicas, greens, roots, peas, garlic) are planted from midsummer through early spring and grow through the rainy winter, while many greens and roots can be sown almost any month. Warm-season crops go in April to June after the soil warms; summer is dry, so they need regular irrigation. Fog belts (western San Francisco, Daly City, coastal San Mateo) have cool summers where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons and corn struggle, whereas the sunnier inner-Bay shoreline ripens them more reliably. The months below follow the planting calendar for San Francisco Bay Area & Northern California Coast from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.
January
Plant: asparagus, beets, cilantro, collard greens, garlic, green onions, kale, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, radishes, rhubarb, roses, sage, swiss chard, thyme
February
Plant: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, daylilies, garlic, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, sage, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
March
Plant: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, dahlias, gladioli, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, radishes, rhubarb, sage, spinach, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
April
Plant: basil, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, chives, cilantro, collard greens, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, dill, gladioli, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, lilies, marigolds, mints, oregano, parsley, peppers, petunias, pumpkins, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sunflowers, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini
May
Plant: basil, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, oregano, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, sage, sunflowers, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini
June
Plant: basil, beets, brussels sprouts, carrots, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, oregano, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, sage, sunflowers, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini
July
Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, collard greens, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, oregano, radishes, sage, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
August
Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, parsley, potatoes, radishes, sage, spinach, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
September
Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, garden mums, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
October
Plant: beets, cilantro, collard greens, garlic, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, radishes, sage, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
November
Plant: beets, cilantro, collard greens, garlic, green onions, kale, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, peas, radishes, sage, swiss chard, thyme
December
Plant: beets, cilantro, collard greens, garlic, green onions, kale, lettuce, mints, onions, oregano, radishes, sage, swiss chard, thyme, tulips, wildflowers
Sources for the San Francisco Bay Area & Northern California Coast calendar
- Vegetable and Herb Planting Recommendations · UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County (UC ANR)
- Planting Recommendations for West of the East Bay Hills · UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County (UC ANR)
- Cool Weather Vegetable Gardening: Late Summer or Early Fall is the Time to Plan and Plant · UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County (UC ANR)
- Edible Gardening and Planting Calendars (climate zones) · UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties (UC ANR)
- Planting Calendar: Sunny Areas of San Francisco & North San Mateo County · UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties (UC ANR)
- Planting Calendar: Foggy Areas of San Francisco & Coastal San Mateo County · UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties (UC ANR)
- Monthly Garden Checklist · UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties (UC ANR)
- Vegetable Gardening at a Glance: How to Plant and Store (Table 14.2, California Master Gardener Handbook) · University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Union City
All 2 of Union City's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Hayward Air Terminal, so the dates on this page apply across the city. The hardiness zone is 10a in 94587, and 9b in 94552.
| ZIP code | Zone | Weather station | Typical last frost | Typical first frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94552 | 9b | Hayward Air Terminal, 2.1 mi WSW | Rare | Rare |
| 94587 | 10a | Hayward Air Terminal, 2.1 mi WSW | Rare | Rare |
Hayward Air Terminal also supplies the frost dates for Hayward, so their planting calendars match Union City's.
Nearby cities
- Hayward, CA zone 10a
- Fremont, CA zone 9b
- Pleasanton, CA zone 9b, last frost Feb 15
- Dublin, CA zone 9b, last frost Feb 15
- San Leandro, CA zone 10a, last frost Jan 7
- San Ramon, CA zone 9b, last frost Feb 15
Planting in CaliforniaAbout zone 10aSan Francisco Bay Area & Northern California Coast planting calendarPrintable calendar for Union City
Questions
When is the last frost in Union City?
Frost is rare in Union City: a 32°F night happens in about 45% of years, so planting follows the San Francisco Bay Area & Northern California Coast calendar on this page rather than frost dates.
What planting zone is Union City in?
USDA hardiness zone 10a (2023 map), with parts of the city in zone 9b. The zone tells you which perennials survive the winter; planting times follow the regional calendar instead.