What to plant in October: zone 11a
A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 11a: last spring frost around January 1, first fall frost around December 31. 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.
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 indoors2 sowings: Oct 23 and Oct 23
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.
- 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.
- Cilantro2 sowings: Oct 5 and Oct 26
Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.
- 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.
- Bush beanaround Oct 27
Counts back 55 days from your first frost. Frost-tender: must finish before frost.
Turn this into your own calendar
Want this calendar emailed to you?
Get the full 12-month version for your ZIP area. Every sowing, transplant, and harvest window, with reminders you can add to your calendar.