Local planting guide · Great Plains
zip 77024
Houston is in USDA hardiness zone 9b, with average winter lows of 25°F to 30°F. The local growing season runs roughly 02/02 through 12/11 (~318 days). This zip falls within the Great Plains growing region.
- USDA zone
- 9b 25°F to 30°F
- Last spring frost
- 02/02
- First fall frost
- 12/11
- Growing season
- 318 days
- Compatible crops
- 37
- Growing region
- Great Plains
Right now in Houston
Week 18 priorities
On the docket: transplant out after last frost · direct sow after last frost. See the full calendar →
Gardening in Houston
Houston's growing season stretches to 318 days, with a last spring frost of February 2 and first fall frost not until December 11, according to NOAA Climate Normals. This exceptionally long season and mild winters (zone 9b lows of 25-30°F) seem like a gardener's dream. The hidden constraint is summer heat and humidity. From June through August, daytime temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, creating conditions that many traditional garden crops cannot tolerate. Cool-season crops like lettuce, broccoli, and peas bolt quickly or fail entirely in the intense heat and long days. The months of February through May and September through November become the prime growing seasons for a diverse garden. Heat-loving crops including figs, peppers, jujubes, and Asian persimmons thrive in Houston's climate. Tomatoes can succeed with deliberate variety selection and afternoon shade. The real opportunity lies in succession planting: many crops can be grown twice, once in spring and again in fall. The combination of long season and extreme summer heat rewards gardeners who time plantings strategically and prioritize heat-tolerant or cool-season-adapted varieties.
Regional context · Great Plains
What the Great Plains brings to Houston
Continental, windy, with severe heat and cold extremes. Cold-hardy fruit and small grains north; long warm season for melons, peppers, and pecans south.
Common challenges
Issues that most often defeat home gardeners in zone 9b, drawn from the broader USDA zone profile.
- ▸ Heat stress in summer
- ▸ Insufficient chill for most apples
- ▸ Salt spray near coasts
What defeats new gardeners in Houston
Heat-intolerant varieties fail when summer arrives. Many home gardeners plant tomatoes or peppers in spring without choosing heat-tolerant cultivars, only to watch them stop fruiting when temperatures reach 95°F in June. Powdery mildew and early blight (on tomatoes and peppers) thrive in Houston's humid conditions, especially when afternoon heat meets nighttime moisture. A second vulnerability is the February frost date. While February 2 is relatively early, late-winter freezes do occur, and they can catch newly planted or tender crops off guard. The third challenge is the compressed cool-season window. Fall crops must be planted between late July and September to mature before the December 11 frost date, and many gardeners miss this narrow window, resulting in young plants going into winter unable to size up before cold arrives.
Crops that grow in Houston
37 crops from our catalog match zone 9b, grouped by type.
Tree fruit
11 crops
zone 9b Fig
Ficus carica
zones 7a–10b
zone 9b Asian Persimmon
Diospyros kaki
zones 7a–10a
zone 9b Pomegranate
Punica granatum
zones 7b–10a
zone 9b Jujube
Ziziphus jujuba
zones 6a–9b
zone 9b Lemon
Citrus limon
zones 9a–11b
zone 9b Orange
Citrus sinensis
zones 9a–11b
zone 9b Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
zones 9b–11b
zone 9b Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
zones 9a–11b
Berries
2 crops
Vegetables
18 crops
zone 9b Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
zones 3a–10b
zone 9b Sweet Pepper
Capsicum annuum
zones 4a–10b
zone 9b Hot Pepper
Capsicum species
zones 4a–10b
zone 9b Eggplant
Solanum melongena
zones 5a–10b
zone 9b Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
zones 3a–9b
zone 9b Kale
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
zones 3a–9b
zone 9b Collards
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
zones 4a–9b
zone 9b Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
zones 3b–10a
Herbs
6 crops
Plan the year
Planting calendar for Houston
Year-view of seed starting, transplanting, planting, pruning, fertilizing, harvest, and pest-watch windows tuned to Houston's local frost dates.
Week ? · loading
This week in Houston, TX (zone 9b)
Quiet week in Houston, TX (zone 9b). this week is a good time to step back and plan ahead.
Nothing critical on the calendar this week.
187 bars · 37 crops
Calendar logic combines NOAA frost normals with crop-specific timing data. Local microclimate and weather always overrules the calendar; use this as a starting point.
Top pests for zone 9b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for IPM controls and signs to watch for.
Multiple species (Aphididae)
Small soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that reproduce explosively in spring. Excrete honeydew that supports sooty mold and attracts ants. Transmit viral diseases.
Multiple species (Aleyrodidae)
Tiny white moth-like flying insects that feed on plant sap and excrete honeydew. Transmit numerous viral diseases including tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
Meloidogyne species
Microscopic soil-dwelling worm that forms galls on roots, reducing vigor and yield.
Tetranychus urticae
Tiny mite that feeds on leaf undersides, causing stippling and webbing during hot dry weather.
Multiple species (Chrysomelidae)
Tiny black or bronze jumping beetles that put hundreds of small holes in seedling leaves. Most damaging on direct-seeded brassicas and young eggplant.
Odocoileus species
Whitetail and mule deer browse can devastate orchards and gardens, particularly in winter when food is scarce. Antler rub on young trunks kills saplings outright.
Pseudococcidae spp.
Soft white waxy insects that cluster at leaf joints, fruit stems, and root crowns. Honeydew secretion supports sooty mold; root mealybugs cause decline that mimics drought.
Coccoidea spp.
Sap-sucking insects that attach to bark, leaves, and fruit, secreting honeydew that fuels sooty mold. Heavy infestations weaken trees and cause leaf yellowing.
Top diseases for zone 9b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for symptoms, controls, and resistant varieties.
Pseudoperonospora cubensis (cucurbits) and others
Water mold (oomycete, not a true fungus) that thrives in cool damp conditions. Spreads rapidly through cucurbit and brassica plantings on wind-borne spores.
Cucumber mosaic virus, Tobacco mosaic virus, and others
Family of plant viruses producing mottled yellow-and-green leaf patterns. Vectored primarily by aphids; some are seed-transmitted or spread by handling tools and tobacco products.
Pythium and Rhizoctonia species
Soil-borne complex of water molds and fungi that kill seedlings before or shortly after emergence. The single most common cause of seed-starting failures.
Fusarium oxysporum
Soil-borne fungal disease that plugs vascular tissue and kills affected plants. Persists in soil for many years; impossible to eliminate once established.
Sclerotium rolfsii
Soil-borne fungal disease most damaging in warm humid Southern conditions. White mycelial fans and small mustard-seed-sized sclerotia at the soil line are diagnostic.
Calcium deficiency physiological disorder
Not a true disease but a calcium-uptake disorder caused by inconsistent soil moisture during fruit development. The dominant cause of damaged first-fruit on home tomato plantings.
Capnodium spp.
Black fungal coating that grows on honeydew secreted by aphids, scale, mealybugs, and whiteflies. Doesn't infect plant tissue directly but blocks photosynthesis and disfigures fruit.
Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV)
Virus vectored by thrips, particularly western flower thrips. Wide host range and growing global distribution. No cure once infected.
Companion planting suggestions
Beneficial pairings drawn from companion data, filtered to crops that grow in zone 9b.
- Fig + Rosemary
Rosemary tolerates the dry sites figs prefer and provides aromatic pest deterrence.
- Tomato + Basil
The classic Italian pairing. Basil's volatile oils are reported to repel hornworms and whiteflies, and the two crops share the same warm-season schedule and water needs. Plant basil between tomato cages.
- Sweet Pepper + Basil
Same warm-season culture, same watering schedule. Basil reportedly improves pepper flavor and repels aphids and thrips that are pepper's primary pests.
- Hot Pepper + Basil
Compatible heat-loving culture, similar water needs. Basil interplanted between hot pepper plants supports beneficial insects and reduces aphid pressure.
- Lettuce + Tomato
Lettuce planted at tomato's base benefits from afternoon shade as the tomato grows, extending the lettuce harvest into early summer. Different root depths avoid competition.
- Cabbage + Onion
Onion smell confuses cabbage moth. Both prefer similar moisture and fertility. The onion-cabbage interplanting is a Northern European tradition.
Soil types reference
Soil texture and pH decide what grows easily on your specific lot. Find the closest match below for crop recommendations and amendment guidance.
Practical tips for Houston
First, succession-plant heat-loving crops in spring and again in mid-summer for fall harvest. Peppers planted in June will mature in the cooling trend of September and October, when fruit quality peaks. Second, for warm-season crops like tomatoes, choose varieties explicitly bred for heat tolerance (cultivars that set fruit reliably above 90°F) and provide afternoon shade with shade cloth or tree cover from June through August. Third, use the February 2 frost date as your spring planting anchor: start most tender crops 4-6 weeks before that date indoors, so they're ready to go into the ground by mid-January or early February. Cool-season crops planted in late August to early September will mature through the mild, dry months of October and November before the December frost.
Frequently asked questions
- What crops grow best in Houston?
Peppers (hot and sweet), figs, jujubes, tomatoes (with heat-tolerant varieties), Asian persimmons, and goji berries all thrive in zone 9b. Heat-tolerant leafy greens and root crops succeed in fall and spring. Avoid traditional cool-season crops during summer months.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Houston?
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before February 2 (so early December to early January) and transplant outdoors by mid-January through February. Choose heat-set cultivars that reliably fruit in hot weather. For a fall crop, plant in late June to mature before December 11.
- What's the biggest threat to a Houston garden?
Summer heat and humidity. Most standard vegetable varieties cannot fruit when night temperatures stay above 65°F and daytime temperatures exceed 90°F. Focus gardening effort on spring, fall, and winter crops, or select heat-loving varieties.
- Why do my vegetables stop producing in June?
Most home garden varieties are not bred for heat-set fruiting. When night temperatures stay above 65°F and daytime temperatures exceed 90°F, many tomatoes and peppers stop setting fruit. Select heat-tolerant cultivars or provide 30-40% shade cloth during peak summer.
- Can I grow cool-season crops in summer?
No. Lettuce, broccoli, and peas bolt or fail in Houston's summer conditions. Plant these crops in late August to early September for fall and winter harvest, or in early spring if you can time the planting before late-spring heat arrives.
- What diseases should I watch for?
Powdery mildew affects squash and melons in humid conditions. Early blight commonly strikes tomatoes, especially in warm, wet years. Provide good air circulation, avoid wetting foliage, and choose disease-resistant varieties when available.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00012977. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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