Local planting guide · California
zip 90088
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 sits in USDA hardiness zone 10b, where winter temperatures rarely drop below 35°F. According to NOAA Climate Normals, the last spring frost occurred by December 31st on average, and freezing temperatures don't return until December 28th (fall), making the growing season effectively 365 days year-round.
This frost-free environment eliminates a major planning constraint, but it creates others. Tender plants like figs, peppers, and basil thrive as permanent ground-planted perennials rather than annuals. Yet warm-season crops like tomato, eggplant, and sweet potato still concentrate in spring and fall when nights are cooler. Cool-season crops reach maturity between October and April.
The real management challenge is not frost protection but summer heat and water. Temperatures regularly exceed 85-90°F, and the region's chronic water constraints make irrigation strategy and drought-tolerant variety selection non-negotiable. The marine layer and coastal influence keep spring cooler and mistier than inland LA, potentially delaying tomato and pepper success. Urban LA often presents heavy clay or compacted soil that requires amendment before establishing productive beds.
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 stress in July and August defeats many gardeners. Tender crops like tomato, squash, and basil stop setting fruit or leaf when night temperatures stay above 75°F. Afternoon shade and species selection for heat tolerance are essential tools here.
Water restrictions are chronic. Southern California's periodic outdoor watering bans and allocations mean relying on species that thrive with less irrigation (rosemary, sage, figs, drought-tolerant peppers) rather than thirsty crops like cucumber and lettuce.
Cool-season crops have a thin planting window. Brassicas, lettuce, and root crops need to mature and harvest between October and April. Plant too early and September heat kills seedlings. Delay into May and the crop bolts. Many gardeners miss this window entirely, leaving them with warm-season crops only.
Pest pressure persists year-round. Winter cold kills many insects in colder zones, but zone 10b's warm winters allow spider mites, aphids, scale, and whitefly to multiply continuously, requiring consistent integrated pest management.
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
Provide afternoon shade (30-50% shade cloth density) for tomato, pepper, and eggplant from June through August. This prevents flower and fruit drop while keeping soil cooler. Basil flourishes in afternoon shade here and extends harvest into late summer when full-sun basil bolts.
Group plants by water need and use drip irrigation with timers or soil moisture sensors. Rosemary and figs survive on minimal summer water. Tomato and peppers need deeper, less frequent watering to train roots deep. Drip systems eliminate overhead irrigation, which wastes water and spreads fungal disease year-round.
Stagger cool-season crop plantings from September through October for continuous winter and spring grazing (lettuce, kale, arugula, brassicas). Plant tomato transplants in August and September for a December harvest when spring plantings struggle through peak heat. This rotation spreads productivity across the calendar instead of concentrating harvests in a narrow window.
Frequently asked questions
- What crops grow reliably in Los Angeles year-round?
Figs, rosemary, basil, peppers, and eggplant thrive as permanent plants in zone 10b. Tomatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes flourish spring through fall. Lettuce, kale, and leafy greens produce October through May. The frost-free environment means most tender perennials survive outdoors, unlike colder zones.
- When should I plant tomato transplants in Los Angeles?
August and early September for a fall harvest (September through December), and late February through March for spring/early summer. Planting in June produces heat-stressed seedlings that struggle through peak summer. Fall crops often outperform spring crops due to moderate temperatures during fruit set.
- What is the biggest weather risk for gardeners here?
Summer heat stress. July and August temperatures above 90°F cause tomato, pepper, eggplant, and squash flowers to abort and fruit production to stop. Afternoon shade cloth and heat-tolerant varieties are essential. Most other regions rely on frost protection; zone 10b gardeners rely on heat management.
- When should I plant lettuce, kale, and cool-season crops?
September and October for winter and spring harvest. These crops need 60-90 frost-free days to mature and must finish before May when heat and long days trigger bolting. Planting before September usually fails because daytime heat remains too intense for germination and seedling growth.
- Do I need to worry about frost in zone 10b Los Angeles?
Essentially no. Winter temperatures drop below 35°F only once every 10-15 years on average per NOAA data. Frost hardiness is not a crop-selection factor. Water availability and heat management are the dominant constraints instead.
- How should I irrigate in a water-restricted area?
Install drip irrigation with timers or soil moisture sensors. Group plants by water need (rosemary and figs need less; tomatoes and peppers need more). Avoid overhead irrigation, which wastes water and spreads fungal diseases year-round. Mulch heavily to retain soil moisture.
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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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