What to plant in October: zone 11a
Zone 11a averages its last spring frost around January 1 and its first fall frost around December 31. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.
Dormant care
- Sharpen and oil toolsaround Oct 2
Clean, sharpen and oil blades while there's time. Dull tools bruise plants and slow you down.
- Prune dormant fruit treesaround Oct 16
Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant. Open the center, remove crossing wood.
Start indoors
- Sow microgreens indoorsaround Oct 9
A tray on the windowsill gives you a cut of fresh greens every 10-14 days through the cold months.
- Start onions and leeks indoorsaround Oct 23
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year.
- Onionaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Match day-length to your latitude. Long-day north of 37°, short-day south.
- Rosemaryaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). In zone 6 and below, grow in a pot and overwinter indoors near a south window.
- Leekaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Plant seedlings deep in a 6 in trench and hill soil up the stem twice during the season. That buried length is the tender white shaft you're growing for.
- Celeryaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Celery is a water crop: it turns stringy and bitter the moment it dries out. Keep soil consistently moist and feed steadily. Homegrown stalks are thinner and far more flavorful than store celery.
- Lavenderaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Lean, gritty, well-drained soil and no coddling. Plant on a slight mound, skip the fertilizer, and prune a third of the plant after bloom to stop it going woody.
- Celeriacaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Needs a long, steady season: start indoors early and keep soil evenly moist the entire time or the knob stays small.
- Habanero Pepperaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Needs more heat and a longer season than bell peppers; start indoors early and don't rush it outside until nights stay above 55F.
- Lemongrassaround Oct 23
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (01-01). Pot it up and bring it indoors before frost north of zone 9; a clump easily overwinters on a sunny windowsill.
Direct sow
- Rutabagaaround Oct 9
Soil is ready -12 weeks before last frost.
Start indoors for fall
Direct sow for fall
- Peaaround Oct 4
Fall pea window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.
- Cilantroaround Oct 5
Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.
- Carrotaround Oct 5
Fall carrot window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.
- Beetaround Oct 9
Fall beet window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.
- Dillaround Oct 9
Fall dill window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.
- Spinacharound Oct 21
Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.
- Lettucearound Oct 21
Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.
- Parsleyaround Oct 22
Counts back 70 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.
- Cilantroaround Oct 26
Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.
- Bush beanaround Oct 27
Counts back 55 days from your first frost. Frost-tender: must finish before frost.
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