Local planting guide · California
zip 90051
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 offers the rare advantage of a frost-free climate where the growing season spans all 365 days. The last spring frost averages December 31, and the first fall frost arrives around December 28, meaning the distinction between seasons is largely academic. This eliminates the frost-timing risk that dominates gardening decisions across much of the country. The real constraints in zone 10b here are heat intensity during summer months and water availability. Gardeners in Los Angeles can grow warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and sweet potato indefinitely, but success hinges on selecting heat-tolerant varieties and managing irrigation. Cool-season crops (lettuce, brassicas) grow best from October through April when temperatures drop. Figs, basil, and rosemary thrive year-round with minimal protection. The lack of hard freezes also means that pests and diseases persist year-round rather than being culled by winter cold, requiring different management strategies than colder zones.
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
Without hard freezes to reset the disease cycle, fungal and insect pests overwinter locally. Powdery mildew, spider mites, and scale insects become year-round concerns rather than seasonal. Summer heat triggers flower drop and reduces fruit set in tomatoes and peppers, particularly if irrigation lapses during peak heat. Many gardeners plant through these months, only to see yields crater when temperatures spike. Water restrictions, periodic drought, and high evaporation rates demand careful irrigation scheduling and mulching. Native Los Angeles soil often trends alkaline (high pH), which limits nutrient availability for acid-loving plants. Coastal areas face salt spray and fog, while inland areas experience extreme heat reflection from hardscape.
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
Plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers in succession three to four times per year (roughly January, April, July, and October) to ensure at least two harvests avoid peak summer heat stress. Mulch heavily around all plants (3 to 4 inches of wood chips or compost) to conserve water and moderate soil temperature. In the hottest months, afternoon shade cloth or interplanting with taller crops buffers peppers and eggplants from stress. Because frost arrives so late (nearly January), spring garden preparation can begin in late December, allowing early-starting crops like tomatoes and peppers to establish robust root systems before summer heat hits.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I grow tomatoes year-round in Los Angeles?
Yes, but not continuously from a single planting. Choose early-maturing varieties for summer plantings to finish before peak heat triggers flower drop. Plant in October to December for a January-April harvest, then again in May-June for fall harvest. Avoid planting in July or August when seedlings struggle in extreme heat.
- What's the best time to start seeds indoors for the spring garden?
Start warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) indoors in December for transplanting in late January or early February. This timing lets seedlings establish before summer heat and gives a spring-to-early-summer harvest window before temperatures peak.
- Why don't my peppers set fruit in July and August?
Extreme summer heat prevents pollen germination and causes flowers to drop. This is normal in Los Angeles summers. Plant peppers for spring and fall harvests instead, or provide afternoon shade cloth during the hottest months. Consistently moist soil also helps reduce stress.
- What's the biggest weather risk for gardening in Los Angeles?
Summer heat is more limiting than frost. Extreme temperatures cause flower and fruit drop, water stress, and increased pest pressure. Drought and water restrictions are the secondary risk; efficient irrigation and mulching are essential year-round.
- Which crops grow best in zone 10b Los Angeles?
Figs, herbs (basil, rosemary), sweet potatoes, eggplant, and hot peppers are especially reliable. Tomatoes, sweet peppers, and root crops do well with variety selection and timing. Cool-season crops (lettuce, broccoli, kale) thrive October through April.
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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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