Local planting guide · California
zip 90032
Los Angeles is in USDA hardiness zone 10b, with average winter lows of 35°F to 40°F. The local growing season runs roughly 12/31 through 12/28 (~365 days). This zip falls within the California growing region.
- USDA zone
- 10b 35°F to 40°F
- Last spring frost
- 12/31
- First fall frost
- 12/28
- Growing season
- 365 days
- Compatible crops
- 23
- Growing region
- California
Right now in Los Angeles
Week 18 priorities
On the docket: transplant out after last frost · direct sow after last frost. See the full calendar →
Gardening in Los Angeles
Los Angeles zone 10b experiences winter temperatures between 35 and 40°F, but frost is exceptionally rare. With a 365-day growing season and virtually no frost risk, the dominant constraints are not seasonal freezing but heat intensity and water availability. Summers bring sustained temperatures above 90°F, stressing crops and reducing pollen fertility in heat-sensitive varieties. Winters offer an unexpected advantage: temperatures drop to 50-60°F, creating ideal conditions for establishing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, and other tender crops. Many gardeners incorrectly assume the calendar is the same as colder zones. February through March is the critical planting window for summer production. This reversed seasonal pattern, combined with freedom from frost, opens two distinct productive seasons rather than one. Figs, rosemary, and Mediterranean crops flourish year-round. Year-round gardening is possible, but success requires thinking in two seasons: a mild, highly productive cool-season from late fall through spring, and a hot, demanding summer requiring shade management and heat-tolerant crops.
Regional context · California
What the California brings to Los Angeles
From cool foggy coast to hot Central Valley to mountain to desert. Mediterranean climate dominates: wet winters, dry summers. The most productive agricultural state in the country, with reach into citrus and olives that exceed the rest of the country.
Common challenges
Issues that most often defeat home gardeners in zone 10b, drawn from the broader USDA zone profile.
- ▸ No winter chill
- ▸ Tropical pest and disease pressure
- ▸ Saltwater intrusion in coastal soils
What defeats new gardeners in Los Angeles
Summer heat presents the dominant challenge. Crops planted after April often arrive at peak vegetative growth during June and July heat, when temperatures routinely exceed 90°F. Tomato pollen becomes sterile above 86°F at night, eliminating fruit set entirely. Powdery mildew, exacerbated by summer irrigation and warm nights, damages squashes, peppers, and other crops despite the region's dry climate reputation. Water scarcity is structural. Winter and spring rains are often abundant, but summer restrictions frequently tighten precisely when irrigation demand peaks, leaving established crops stressed during their critical late-spring production window. Poor drainage in inland clay soils traps moisture after winter rains and creates root rot in tender perennials. Finally, intuition based on traditional spring planting calendars fails entirely. Tomatoes planted in March thrive; those planted in May diminish by July.
Crops that grow in Los Angeles
23 crops from our catalog match zone 10b, grouped by type.
Tree fruit
12 crops
zone 10b Fig
Ficus carica
zones 7a–10b
zone 10b Lemon
Citrus limon
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Orange
Citrus sinensis
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Mango
Mangifera indica
zones 10b–13b
zone 10b Avocado
Persea americana
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Banana
Musa acuminata
zones 9b–13b
Berries
2 crops
Nuts
1 crop
Vegetables
6 crops
zone 10b Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
zones 3a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Pepper
Capsicum annuum
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Hot Pepper
Capsicum species
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Eggplant
Solanum melongena
zones 5a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
zones 6a–10b
zone 10b Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
zones 6a–10b
Herbs
2 crops
Plan the year
Planting calendar for Los Angeles
Year-view of seed starting, transplanting, planting, pruning, fertilizing, harvest, and pest-watch windows tuned to Los Angeles's local frost dates.
Week ? · loading
This week in Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)
Quiet week in Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b). this week is a good time to step back and plan ahead.
Nothing critical on the calendar this week.
128 bars · 23 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 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for IPM controls and signs to watch for.
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.
Ceratitis capitata
Quarantine pest in many regions. Adult females puncture ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae tunnel through the flesh, causing premature drop and rot.
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.
Meloidogyne species
Microscopic soil-dwelling worm that forms galls on roots, reducing vigor and yield.
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.
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.
Anastrepha suspensa
Tropical fruit fly endemic to Florida and the Caribbean. Less aggressive on commercial citrus than Mediterranean fruit fly, but devastating on guava, carambola, and other thin-skinned tropicals.
Top diseases for zone 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for symptoms, controls, and resistant varieties.
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.
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Most damaging mango disease worldwide. Fungal spores infect blossoms and developing fruit during humid weather, producing black sunken lesions that expand on ripening fruit.
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.
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.
Verticillium dahliae
Soil-borne fungal disease similar to fusarium wilt but with broader host range and cooler temperature optimum. Persists in soil for 10+ years.
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
Devastating bacterial disease vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid. Once infected, trees decline progressively over several years and there is no cure. Has destroyed commercial citrus across Florida and threatens production worldwide.
Xanthomonas citri
Bacterial disease producing raised corky lesions on leaves, twigs, and fruit. Spread by wind-driven rain and contaminated tools. Quarantine-regulated in many areas.
Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and X. perforans
Bacterial disease causing leaf spots and fruit blemishes on pepper and tomato. Severe in warm humid weather, transmitted via splashing water and seed.
Companion planting suggestions
Beneficial pairings drawn from companion data, filtered to crops that grow in zone 10b.
- 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.
- Okra + Hot Pepper
Both heat-loving warm-season crops with similar water and fertility needs. Hot pepper at okra's base benefits from the slight afternoon shade in extreme summer heat.
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 Los Angeles
First, plant warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes) in late January through March. This timing allows establishment during cool weather, flowering during benign spring, and heavy production before summer heat peaks. A second smaller crop can be attempted in late June, but summer establishment is slower. Second, use shade cloth (30-50% shade) for heat-sensitive crops during June through September, orienting it to block afternoon sun. This technique keeps soil and foliage 5-10°F cooler and extends productive harvest. Third, embrace the inverted calendar. Cool-season crops (lettuce, broccoli, peas, carrots, beets) thrive when planted September through November and mature during mild winter months without bolting. This shift unlocks a full second season of abundance.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best time to plant tomatoes in Los Angeles?
Late January through March is optimal. Tomatoes planted then establish during cool weather, flower in mild spring, and produce heavily before summer heat arrives. A second, smaller crop can be started in late June or July for fall and winter harvest, though establishment is slower.
- Can you really grow year-round in zone 10b Los Angeles?
Yes. With virtually no frost risk and a 365-day growing season, crops can be grown every month. However, success requires rotating crop selections seasonally rather than planting the same crops continuously. Warm-season crops flourish in cool months; heat-lovers dominate summer.
- What's the single biggest weather threat here?
Summer heat combined with water scarcity. Temperatures exceed 90°F from June through September, stressing tender crops and reducing fruit set in heat-sensitive varieties. Water restrictions often tighten during peak demand precisely when irrigation is most critical.
- Why does gardening advice from other zone 10b areas fail in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Other zone 10b areas like parts of Florida or Texas have warmer winters and more consistent humidity. The seasonal pattern is nearly opposite, making advice from those regions counterproductive.
- What are the easiest crops to grow here?
Mediterranean crops like figs and rosemary thrive. For broader seasonal production, plant tomatoes, peppers, and tender crops in February-March, then switch to lettuce, broccoli, root crops, and cool-season herbs in September-November.
- Does frost actually occur in Los Angeles?
Frost is exceptionally rare and rarely a practical constraint. Unexpected cold snaps occasionally occur, particularly in inland areas and valley bottoms where cold air pools. Frost-sensitive perennials like avocados and citrus are safest on slopes or elevated areas.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00023152. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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