Local planting guide · California
zip 90093
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 occupies an exceptional growing zone within zone 10b. Frost is statistically negligible; the last spring frost arrives near year-end (12/31) and the first fall frost doesn't occur until late December (12/28), yielding a 365-day growing season. This eliminates frost as a practical constraint for nearly all crops.
The real gardening parameters in Los Angeles are heat and water, not cold. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 85°F, and during heat waves spike above 100°F. Coastal neighborhoods benefit from marine influence and tend toward the cooler end of zone 10b's 35-40°F winter minimum range. Inland areas experience more temperature extremes.
Los Angeles's Mediterranean climate features dry summers and wet winters, creating a seasonal rhythm despite the lack of frost. Rainfall concentrates October through March, while June through September is bone-dry. This pattern favors cool-season crops in winter and heat-tolerant warm-season crops in summer.
Figs, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes thrive in Los Angeles summers. Basil and rosemary deliver year-round. Leafy greens and brassicas slot into the cooler half of the year. The long growing season allows multiple planting windows for the same crop; a tomato planted in January reaches maturity before peak summer heat, while a late-summer planting can set fruit into fall and even winter if the season cooperates.
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
Water is the limiting factor for most Los Angeles gardeners. Drought stress stunts peppers and curls tomato leaves, and mid-summer watering restrictions can force choices between landscape and edibles.
A less-obvious challenge is the May-June cool period. After winter and spring warmth, a cooling trend in May can stall warm-season crop establishment. Tomatoes planted too early in spring languish in May's chill. Conversely, waiting until late June to plant allows them to grow into peak summer heat, when sunscald and blossom-end rot become problems on certain varieties.
Whiteflies, spider mites, and mealybugs explode in Los Angeles's warm, dry climate. These pests thrive on stressed plants and spread rapidly between adjacent gardens.
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
Late January and February are the prime windows for tomato and pepper establishment. These months provide warm soil, adequate spring moisture, and time for plants to mature before peak summer heat stress. Conversely, late August planting sets up a fall-and-winter crop. Mid-June planting is problematic; plants grow into July-August heat when sunscald and blossom-end rot become severe on many varieties.
The dry months (June through September) favor heat-loving crops like figs, peppers, and eggplant that actually thrive as rainfall drops and temperatures climb. Leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots perform best October through May, when winter rains supplement garden watering and temperatures favor slower growth.
Shade cloth (30-50% density) is essential for summer gardening. Even heat-loving tomatoes and peppers benefit from afternoon protection, while leafy greens become entirely shade-dependent once temperatures exceed 75°F. Drip irrigation and heavy mulch (3-4 inches) are non-negotiable in Los Angeles's dry summers; hand watering cannot match evaporation rates.
Frequently asked questions
- What crops grow best in Los Angeles?
Figs, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes thrive in the year-round warmth. Basil and rosemary deliver year-round. Cool-season crops like leafy greens, brassicas, and carrots excel from winter through spring.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Los Angeles?
Plant in late January or February for a spring-to-early-summer crop, or in late August for a fall-and-winter crop. Avoid mid-June planting; summer heat stresses fruit and invites sunscald on exposed fruit.
- Will frost damage my plants?
Frost is essentially non-existent in Los Angeles. With last spring frost on 12/31 and first fall frost on 12/28, frost-sensitive crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil are safe year-round.
- How do I keep crops alive through summer heat?
Mulch heavily (3-4 inches) to conserve soil moisture and moderate root-zone temperature. Drip irrigation is essential; hand watering cannot keep pace with evaporation demand. Shade cloth (30-50%) protects sensitive crops and ripening fruit from sunscald.
- When is best for leafy greens?
October through May is ideal for lettuce, spinach, arugula, and kale. Once temperatures exceed 75°F in June, most greens bolt quickly unless grown in shade. Some gardeners succeed with cool-season greens under 50% shade cloth year-round.
- Is year-round growing really possible?
Yes, but what grows when follows seasonal temperature and rainfall patterns, not frost dates. Spring-summer favors warm-season crops; fall-winter favors cool-season crops. A savvy gardener stacks plantings to use all 365 days.
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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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