Southern California Inland Valleys planting calendar
The valleys behind the coastal hills - San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Simi, San Gabriel and Pomona valleys, the Inland Empire, inland San Diego County and SW Riverside County - where summers are hot and dry and clear winter nights bring occasional light frost.
What to plant each month in Southern California Inland Valleys
Cool-season crops are planted from late summer through winter, but the window is shorter than on the coast because summers are too hot for lettuce, peas and cole crops and occasional winter frosts can nip tender growth. Warm-season crops go in from April, after frost danger, through June; hot, dry summers ripen tomatoes, melons and peppers well but heat above the mid-90s can stop fruit set in July and August. Rain comes almost entirely November to March. The months below follow the planting calendar for Southern California Inland Valleys from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.
January
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, daffodils, grapes, green onions, hyacinths, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, roses, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
February
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, dill, gladioli, grapes, green onions, kale, lavenders, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, roses, spinach, strawberries, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers
March
Plant: avocados, beets, blackberries, carrots, chives, cilantro, dahlias, dill, gladioli, grapes, green onions, kale, lavenders, lettuce, mints, oregano, parsley, peas, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, sage, spinach, strawberries, swiss chard, thyme, turnips
April
Plant: avocados, basil, beets, cantaloupes, chives, cilantro, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, dill, eggplants, gladioli, green beans, green onions, kale, lavenders, marigolds, mints, okra, oregano, parsley, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, rosemary, sage, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
May
Plant: avocados, basil, cantaloupes, chives, cilantro, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, eggplants, gladioli, green beans, marigolds, okra, parsley, peppers, pumpkins, rosemary, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
June
Plant: avocados, cantaloupes, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, eggplants, gladioli, green beans, marigolds, okra, peppers, pumpkins, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
July
Plant: cosmos, cucumbers, green beans, marigolds, sunflowers, sweet corn, zinnias, zucchini
August
Plant: broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes
September
Plant: beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, poppies, potatoes, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips
October
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, crocuses, daffodils, garlic, green onions, hyacinths, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, poppies, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
November
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, crocuses, daffodils, garlic, green onions, hyacinths, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
December
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, daffodils, green onions, hyacinths, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, radishes, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
Sources for the Southern California Inland Valleys calendar
- Vegetable Garden Planting Guide for San Diego County (coastal and inland dates) · UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County / UC Cooperative Extension (V. Lazaneo)
- Gardening Tips: What to Plant (month by month) · UCCE Master Gardeners of San Bernardino County
- Garden Tips for Los Angeles County (monthly gardening tips, January-December) · UC Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County (Y. Savio)
Planting months by plant
| Plant | Plant in | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Oct–Feb | Vegetables |
| Avocados | Mar–Jun | Fruit |
| Azaleas | Oct–Feb | Flowers & bulbs |
| Basil | Apr–May | Herbs |
| Beets | Sep–Apr | Vegetables |
| Blackberries | Jan–Mar | Fruit |
| Broccoli | Aug–Feb | Vegetables |
| Cabbages | Aug–Feb | Vegetables |
| Cantaloupes | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Carrots | Sep–Mar | Vegetables |
| Cauliflower | Aug–Feb | Vegetables |
| Chives | Feb–May, Sep–Oct | Herbs |
| Cilantro | Feb–May, Sep, Nov | Herbs |
| Cosmos | Apr–Jul | Flowers & bulbs |
| Crocuses | Oct–Nov | Flowers & bulbs |
| Cucumbers | Apr–Jul | Vegetables |
| Daffodils | Oct–Jan | Flowers & bulbs |
| Dahlias | Mar–Jun | Flowers & bulbs |
| Dill | Feb–Apr | Herbs |
| Eggplants | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Garlic | Oct–Nov | Vegetables |
| Gladioli | Feb–Jun | Flowers & bulbs |
| Grapes | Jan–Mar | Fruit |
| Green Beans | Apr–Aug | Vegetables |
| Green Onions | Sep–Apr | Vegetables |
| Hyacinths | Oct–Jan | Flowers & bulbs |
| Kale | Sep–Apr | Vegetables |
| Lavenders | Feb–Apr | Herbs |
| Lettuce | Sep–Mar | Vegetables |
| Marigolds | Apr–Jul | Flowers & bulbs |
| Mints | Mar–Apr | Herbs |
| Okra | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Onions | Oct–Feb | Vegetables |
| Oregano | Mar–Apr | Herbs |
| Parsley | Sep–May | Herbs |
| Peas | Jan–Mar | Vegetables |
| Peppers | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Poppies | Sep–Nov | Flowers & bulbs |
| Potatoes | Feb–Apr, Aug–Sep | Vegetables |
| Pumpkins | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Radishes | Sep–Mar | Vegetables |
| Raspberries | Jan–Mar | Fruit |
| Rhubarb | Jan–Mar | Vegetables |
| Rosemary | Mar–May | Herbs |
| Roses | Jan–Feb | Flowers & bulbs |
| Sage | Mar–Apr, Oct | Herbs |
| Snapdragons | Sep–Nov | Flowers & bulbs |
| Spinach | Sep–Mar | Vegetables |
| Strawberries | Oct–Apr | Fruit |
| Sunflowers | Apr–Jul | Flowers & bulbs |
| Sweet Corn | Apr–Jul | Vegetables |
| Sweet Peas | Sep–Jan | Flowers & bulbs |
| Sweet Potatoes | May–Jun | Vegetables |
| Swiss Chard | Sep–Apr | Vegetables |
| Thyme | Mar–Apr, Oct | Herbs |
| Tomatoes | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Tulips | Oct–Jan | Flowers & bulbs |
| Turnips | Sep–Apr | Vegetables |
| Watermelons | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Wildflowers | Oct–Feb | Flowers & bulbs |
| Winter Squash | Apr–Jun | Vegetables |
| Zinnias | Apr–Jul | Flowers & bulbs |
| Zucchini | Apr–Jul | Vegetables |
Cities in Southern California Inland Valleys
Which places belong to this region: Non-desert Southern California cities cut off from marine air by hills (roughly Sunset zones 18-21; UC San Diego guide 'inland' valley-and-canyon Region 3, below about 2,000 ft): Los Angeles County at lat >= 34.12 N (San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, Glendale, Pasadena, Arcadia, foothill cities) or in the San Gabriel Valley (lat >= 34.04 N and east of about 118.16 W: Alhambra, Monterey Park, El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina, Pomona); Ventura County east of 119.0 W or north of 34.30 N (Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Santa Paula, Ojai); San Bernardino and Riverside counties west of about 116.9 W (Ontario, Chino, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta); and San Diego County east of 117.0 W or north of 32.95 N and east of 117.2 W (Escondido, San Marcos, Poway, Santee, El Cajon). Excludes the Coachella Valley and other deserts and mountain communities above ~3,000 ft.