Local planting guide · Great Plains
zip 77026
Houston is in USDA hardiness zone 9b, with average winter lows of 25°F to 30°F. The local growing season runs roughly 01/30 through 12/28 (~330 days). This zip falls within the Great Plains growing region.
- USDA zone
- 9b 25°F to 30°F
- Last spring frost
- 01/30
- First fall frost
- 12/28
- Growing season
- 330 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 330-day growing season is one of the longest in the continental U.S., a major advantage for gardeners willing to work around the region's dominant constraint: extreme summer heat and humidity. Winter lows of 25 to 30°F are rare and brief. The last spring frost typically arrives by January 30, and the first fall frost does not come until December 28, a window that favors heat-tolerant crops over cool-season specialists. Figs, pomegranates, Asian persimmons, and jujubes thrive in Houston's zone 9b climate, where winters are too warm to allow traditional chill-requirement apples and pears but warm enough for crops that demand deep dormancy protection in colder zones. The Gulf Coast's humidity and occasional saltwater intrusion from tropical systems shape both disease pressure and variety selection. Gardening in Houston is a game of summer heat management and disease prevention rather than frost protection; the real risk comes on the rare years when a strong cold snap penetrates the region without warning.
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
Houston's summer heat (often 95°F or higher from June through August) stresses leafy crops, soft-fruit plants, and root systems, requiring aggressive irrigation and summer mulching. When rare but severe freezes do occur, the lack of acclimation in plants makes damage worse; a freeze in January can devastate tender growth that emerged during the unusually warm fall and winter. The Gulf Coast humidity creates ideal conditions for fungal diseases including fire blight, powdery mildew, and anthracnose, especially on figs and other dense-canopied plants that do not benefit from air circulation. Alkaline soils common in the Houston area can lock up essential nutrients like iron and zinc, requiring sulfur amendments or acid-forming fertilizers.
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
Succession-plant cool-season crops in late summer (August through September) for a long harvest window before the January 30 frost date, allowing fall and winter greens, root crops, and brassicas to mature in the mild season without summer heat stress. Choose fungal-disease-resistant varieties for figs and pomegranates, and site them where morning sun dries dew quickly; Houston's humidity demands air flow more than many zone 9b locations. For the rare hard freeze, protect fig trunks and tender growth with frost blankets or straw mulch by early December, before the December 28 frost date, treating these occasional freezes as major events rather than routine winter conditions.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best fruit trees for Houston gardening?
Figs, pomegranates, Asian persimmons, jujubes, and goji berries are well-suited to zone 9b's mild winters and long growing season. These crops tolerate heat and humidity better than traditional temperate fruits. Fig production is especially reliable in Houston because the winter is too warm to allow the deep dormancy that cold-zone apples require.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Houston?
Tomatoes are a two-season crop in Houston. Start transplants indoors in January for a spring planting (February to March), harvesting before summer heat peaks in July. A second crop can be started in late July or August for a fall and winter harvest, taking advantage of the long season extending to December 28. Summer planting of tomatoes is rarely productive due to heat and disease.
- What is the biggest weather risk for gardens in Houston?
Despite the mild winters, a hard freeze in December or January can devastate plants that have grown tender in the unusually warm fall. These rare but severe events occur unpredictably and cause more damage than predictable seasonal frost because plants lack hardening. Summer heat stress (95°F and higher) and humidity-driven fungal diseases from June through August are the second major risk.
- Why do my figs get powdery mildew and other fungal diseases?
Houston's Gulf Coast humidity creates ideal conditions for fungal diseases. Figs with dense canopies trap moisture, especially when planted in shaded or poorly-ventilated spots. Select disease-resistant varieties, prune for open structure to improve air circulation, and site new plantings where morning sun dries dew quickly.
- Can I grow traditional chill-hour apples in Houston?
No. Most commercial apple varieties require 800 to 1,200 chill hours (hours below 45°F) per winter. Houston's zone 9b winters rarely accumulate more than 100 to 200 chill hours, making standard apples unsuitable. Low-chill varieties exist for warmer regions, but even these struggle with Houston's summer heat.
- When should I protect plants from frost?
The last spring frost typically arrives by January 30, but the real threat comes during rare hard freezes in December or early January. Monitor forecasts closely from December onward and protect tender plants like figs and sensitive young growth with frost blankets or straw by early December, before the December 28 frost date.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00012918. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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