Zone 10a planting calendar

What to plant in January: zone 10a

Zone 10a averages its last spring frost around January 30 and its first fall frost around December 25. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: January 30
First frost: December 25
Winter lows: 30 to 35 °F
Zone 10a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Garden care

Start indoors

  • Lettucearound Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Succession sow every 2 weeks. Harvest outer leaves for a cut-and-come-again supply.

  • Swiss Chardaround Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Cut outer stalks 2 in above the crown and the plant keeps producing from spring into hard frost. One planting can feed a household all season.

  • Okraaround Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Okra wants hot soil, 70F+, or seed rots. Pick pods at 3-4 in every other day: one pod left to toughen tells the plant to stop producing.

  • Bok Choyaround Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Bolts fast once days lengthen past 14 hours. Grow it as an early spring or fall crop, not a summer one.

  • Peanutaround Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.

  • Bitter Melonaround Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Pick fruit while still green and firm; left to yellow and split, it turns bitter to the point of inedible.

  • Luffa (Vegetable Sponge Gourd)around Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Pick young for eating like a squash, or leave on the vine until the skin browns and dries for a bath sponge.

  • Endivearound Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Blanch heads by tying outer leaves shut 2 weeks before harvest to mellow the natural bitterness.

  • Escarolearound Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.

  • New Zealand Spinacharound Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Soak seed 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; it thrives in summer heat that bolts true spinach.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Jan 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Bolts fast in heat or from a check in growth; keep it evenly watered and harvest the bulb once it's baseball-sized, before it flowers.

  • Cucumberaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

  • Zucchiniaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

  • Winter squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

  • Watermelonaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

  • Cantaloupe / Melonaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

  • Pumpkinaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.

  • Honeydew Melonaround Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.

  • Butternut Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.

  • Acorn Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

  • Spaghetti Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

  • Hubbard Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.

  • Kabocha Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

  • Delicata Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.

  • Patty Pan Squasharound Jan 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-30). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Direct sow

  • Lettucearound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Spinacharound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Radisharound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Turniparound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Arugulaaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mizunaaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Tatsoiaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mustard Greensaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoli Raabaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Shallotaround Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Endivearound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Escarolearound Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Orach (Mountain Spinach)around Jan 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Carrotaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kalearound Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Beetaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Onionaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoliaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Chivesaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kohlrabiaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Bok Choyaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsniparound Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Salsifyaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Lentilaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Sorrelaround Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Flax (Seed)around Jan 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Potatoaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Cilantroaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsleyaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Swiss Chardaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Collardsaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Burdock (Gobo)around Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Watercressaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chamomile (German)around Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Carawayaround Jan 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Jan 23

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Quinoaaround Jan 23

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Dillaround Jan 30

    Soil is ready 0 weeks after last frost.

Transplant out

  • Asparagusaround Jan 2

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Horseradisharound Jan 2

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kalearound Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Broccoliaround Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chivesaround Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Strawberryaround Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kohlrabiaround Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bok Choyaround Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Jan 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Lettucearound Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Onionaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Parsleyaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Mintaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Cabbagearound Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Caulifloweraround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Swiss Chardaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Collardsaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Leekaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Romanescoaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Endivearound Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Escarolearound Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Radicchioaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Sorrelaround Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chamomile (German)around Jan 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

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