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Rio Grande Valley / South Texas planting calendar

The Lower Rio Grande Valley at Texas's southern tip has a subtropical climate with long, very hot summers and mild winters where freezes are infrequent and brief. Gardeners there plant warm-season crops very early in spring and do most cool-season growing through fall and winter.

What to plant each month in Rio Grande Valley / South Texas

Spring planting of warm-season crops starts in mid-February, much earlier than in most of the country, and most of it has to be finished by March or April, before the long, intense summer heat. A second warm-season round goes in from late July to mid-September for a fall harvest. Cool-season vegetables are planted from September and grow through the mild winter, with leafy and root crops sown into February. The months below follow the planting calendar for Rio Grande Valley / South Texas from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.

  1. January

    Plant: beets, cilantro, collard greens, kale, lettuce, parsley, potatoes, radishes, spinach, swiss chard

  2. February

    Plant: beets, cantaloupes, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplants, kale, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, radishes, spinach, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, zucchini

  3. March

    Plant: cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, okra, peppers, pumpkins, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

  4. April

    Plant: cucumbers, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash, zucchini

  5. June

    Plant: eggplants

  6. July

    Plant: eggplants, peppers, tomatoes

  7. August

    Plant: cantaloupes, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, peppers, pumpkins, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

  8. September

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips

  9. October

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, dill, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips

  10. November

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, dill, green onions, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, turnips

  11. December

    Plant: beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cilantro, collard greens, dill, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, potatoes, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, turnips

Sources for the Rio Grande Valley / South Texas calendar

Planting months by plant

PlantPlant inGroup
BeetsSep–FebVegetables
BroccoliSep–DecVegetables
Brussels SproutsSep–NovVegetables
CabbagesSep–DecVegetables
CantaloupesFeb–Mar, AugVegetables
CarrotsSep–DecVegetables
CauliflowerSep–NovVegetables
CeleryAug–NovVegetables
CilantroSep–FebHerbs
Collard GreensSep–FebVegetables
CucumbersFeb–Apr, Aug–SepVegetables
DillSep–DecHerbs
EggplantsFeb–Mar, Jun–AugVegetables
Green BeansMar, Aug–SepVegetables
Green OnionsOct–DecVegetables
KaleSep–FebVegetables
LeeksSep–NovVegetables
LettuceSep–FebVegetables
OkraFeb–MarVegetables
OnionsOct–NovVegetables
ParsleySep–FebHerbs
PeasSepVegetables
PeppersFeb–Mar, Jul–SepVegetables
PotatoesDec–JanVegetables
PumpkinsMar–Apr, AugVegetables
RadishesSep–FebVegetables
SpinachSep–FebVegetables
Sweet CornFeb–Mar, AugVegetables
Sweet PotatoesMar–AprVegetables
Swiss ChardSep–FebVegetables
TomatoesFeb–Mar, Jul–OctVegetables
TurnipsSep–DecVegetables
WatermelonsFeb–Mar, AugVegetables
Winter SquashMar–Apr, AugVegetables
ZucchiniFeb–Apr, AugVegetables

Cities in Rio Grande Valley / South Texas

Which places belong to this region: Texas cities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy and Starr counties), roughly south of 27°N latitude, e.g. Brownsville, McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr.