Planting Zone 12b

Min winter temp 55 to 60°F · frost-free, year-round growing

Last spring frost

Frost-free

First fall frost

Frost-free

Growing season

365 days

Zone 12b rarely sees frost, so you can plant across a long, near-continuous season. Focus on heat tolerance and, in the hottest months, some afternoon shade.

Zone 12b planting schedule and calendar

Start indoors Transplant Direct sow Harvest

Crop	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Sep
Tomatoes	●		●
Peppers	●		●
Cucumbers	●		●
Lettuce	●	●
Zucchini	●	●
Carrots	●		●
Beans (bush)	●	●
Peas	●		●
Broccoli	●		●
Spinach	●	●
Kale	●		●
Onions	●			●
Garlic	●				●
Potatoes	●			●
Squash (winter)	●			●
Corn	●		●
Radishes	●	●
Beets	●	●
Eggplant	●		●
Basil	●		●
Cilantro	●	●
Parsley	●		●
Pumpkins	●			●
Sunflowers	●		●

What to plant this fall in Zone 12b

Zone 12b never really shuts down, so fall is not the end of the season here, it is the start of the good one. Once the heat breaks, cool-season crops that bolt in a Zone 12b summer grow properly. Sow them from about October onward.

More on the method: the fall planting calendar by zone, when to plant garlic and how to stretch your first frost date.

When to plant popular crops in Zone 12b

Tomatoes

~75 days

When to plant

Peppers

~80 days

When to plant

Cucumbers

~60 days

When to plant

Lettuce

~50 days

When to plant

Tomatoes Peppers Cucumbers Lettuce Zucchini Carrots Beans (bush) Peas Broccoli Spinach Kale Onions Garlic Potatoes Squash (winter) Corn Radishes Beets Eggplant Basil Cilantro Parsley Pumpkins Sunflowers

Seasonal reading for Zone 12b

What to plant in October by zone
The October sowing and planting list for Zone 12b.
What to plant in November by zone
What still goes in the ground in November in Zone 12b.
What changed in the 2023 USDA zone map
Whether the 2023 USDA map moved Zone 12b, and what that changes.
Companion planting chart
Which crops to plant together once you know your dates.

Nearby zones

Zone 12a (colder) Zone 13a (warmer) What USDA zones actually mean Frost dates by city

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Zone 12b?

Zone 12b is effectively frost-free, so you can garden year-round.

What can I grow in Zone 12b?

Nearly all common vegetables and herbs grow in Zone 12b; the difference is timing. Use the planting calendar above, calculated from Zone 12b frost dates.

What can I plant in the fall in Zone 12b?

Zone 12b has no meaningful frost, so fall is the start of the easiest growing season of the year here. Cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach, kale and cilantro are sown from around October, when the heat finally breaks.

How long is the growing season in Zone 12b?

Year-round (365 days).