Zone 10a planting calendar

What to plant in October: zone 10a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 10a: last spring frost around January 30, first fall frost around December 25. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: January 30
Typical 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.

Plan & order

  • Inventory and order seed3 sowings: Oct 10 and Oct 17 and Oct 24

    Sort what you already have, toss anything over 3 years old, and order early while varieties are in stock. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

Dormant care

  • Sharpen and oil toolsaround Oct 31

    Clean, sharpen and oil blades while there's time. Dull tools bruise plants and slow you down.

Direct sow for fall

  • Beet2 sowings: Oct 3 and Oct 31

    Fall beet window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Dill2 sowings: Oct 3 and Oct 31

    Fall dill window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Spinacharound Oct 15

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Lettucearound Oct 15

    Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Parsleyaround Oct 16

    Counts back 70 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.

  • Cilantroaround Oct 20

    Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Bush beanaround Oct 21

    Counts back 55 days from your first frost. Frost-tender: must finish before frost.

  • Peaaround Oct 26

    Counts back 60 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.

  • Carrotaround Oct 27

    Counts back 70 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.

Start indoors for fall

  • Kalearound Oct 14

    Seedlings need 4 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

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