Local planting guide · California
zip 90062
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's zone 10b climate is defined by its lack of winter severity rather than its presence. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 35 to 40°F, creating a year-round growing season of 365 days. The growing season doesn't end; it merely shifts focus. Frost occurs unpredictably and rarely, typically as isolated events in late December rather than as a sustained threat. This removes the seasonal constraint that defines gardening across most of the country.
Figs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes, basil, and rosemary all thrive in Los Angeles because the climate is warm enough to support them continuously. The real constraints here are different: managing the sporadic frost risk that can damage tender perennials, navigating summer heat that can stress even heat-loving crops, and adapting to water scarcity in a semi-arid region. Gardeners who succeed here typically adopt a different mental model than frost-zone gardeners elsewhere. Instead of working around a defined off-season, they manage continuous production by rotating plantings to avoid peak heat and by protecting against the occasional cold snap.
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
Los Angeles gardeners face three overlapping challenges. First, unpredictable frost is rare but devastating when it occurs, particularly for young tender perennials like figs, citrus, and avocado that can survive most winters but are killed if an unusually cold event arrives without warning. Second, summer heat from June through September can arrest flowering and fruit set in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, even in varieties bred for warmth. Afternoon temperatures above 95°F and intense direct sun stress plants and reduce yields. Third, water scarcity and local restrictions force careful irrigation management year-round. Unlike regions where winter dormancy reduces water demand, Los Angeles gardeners must maintain consistent watering for nearly 365 days of potential growth.
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 tomatoes and peppers in three waves to avoid peak summer heat: late winter (February to early March), late spring (April to May), and mid-summer (July). This staggered approach ensures at least two harvests avoid the August heat peak. Second, position frost-sensitive perennials where they can be quickly covered or watered if frost threatens; a simple frost cloth or sprinkler activation can mean the difference between survival and loss for figs, young citrus, or tender ornamentals. Watch local weather forecasts from late November through early January for the rare frost event, and be ready to act. Third, use 30 to 50% shade cloth and mulch heavily during the June-through-September heat peak for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. This reduces water stress, prevents fruit scalding, and maintains productivity through the hottest months.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best time to plant tomatoes in Los Angeles?
Plant in three staggered sowings: late February through early March, late April, and July. The winter and spring plantings produce through late spring and early summer before peak heat arrives. The July planting avoids summer heat stress and produces in cooler fall months.
- Can I grow figs year-round in zone 10b?
Figs produce fruit during warm months (May through October in Los Angeles), then drop leaves in winter dormancy. The year-round potential comes from the mild winters allowing figs to survive outdoors unprotected most years, not from fruit production in all seasons.
- How do I protect figs and citrus from rare frost?
Establish frost protection routines even though frost is rare. Keep frost cloth on hand and position trees where they can be quickly covered. Alternatively, run overhead sprinklers during a frost event to release latent heat. Young trees in the first few years are most vulnerable.
- Is it too hot to grow vegetables in summer in Los Angeles?
Not with summer management. Use 30 to 50% shade cloth from June through September for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Mulch heavily to regulate soil temperature. Succession plant to shift harvest timing to cooler months (early summer and fall) when possible.
- What about Los Angeles water restrictions?
Water policy varies by municipality and season. Expect restrictions on frequency and timing of watering. Design irrigation systems with drip lines and timers to maximize water efficiency. Group plants by water need. Mulching reduces demand significantly.
- What's the single biggest weather risk for gardeners in zone 10b Los Angeles?
Unpredictable frost in late December is the main risk. Unlike frost-belt gardeners who plan around a known frost date, Los Angeles gardeners must monitor forecasts and be prepared to protect frost-sensitive perennials when an unusual cold event arrives.
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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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