Monthly Planting List, SoCal
Even if you're getting a bit of a late start shaking off the winter doldrums like many are this year, here is a monthly planting guide for some of the more popular edibles from January through August for the Southern California region. With our wonderfully long growing seasons, we found these recommendations extremely motivational in getting us going on this years crops! And of course, it served as a great reminder of "better late than never"! Happy Gardening!!
January:
Plant in the ground: lettuce, carrots, beets, parsnips, potatoes, celeriac, radishes, spinach, Plant in containers: lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, (these last two can be started now, but they would have been better started earlier – their production will be reduced by the coming warmer weather), peas, fava beans, lentils, garbanzo beans
February:
Plant in the ground: lettuce (and other salad greens), carrots, beets, parsnips, radishes, spinach, purple beans, Plant in containers: early tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, summer squash
March:
Plant in the ground: lettuce, radishes, purple beans, beets, spinach, set out plants of basil, early tomatoes, later in the month, sow early sweet corn, Plant in containers: tomatoes, basil, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons, all squash,
April
Plant in the ground: beans of all colors, lettuce, radishes, beets, spinach, set out plants of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, you can start planting all corn now Plant in containers: tomatoes, basil, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons & squash, okra,
May:
Plant in the ground: all basil, eggplant, all melons and all squash (including cucumbers, set out plants of same and all tomatoes, eggplants and peppers) green and yellow beans and all the dried beans; corn too, if you have room Plant in containers: As in April, but it’s getting late – peppers, eggplants and basil are still OK to start, but it’s getting late, did I say it was getting late?
June:
Plant in the ground: all the above, but it’s getting late… you can still get a crop, but it will be cut shorter by any early cool weather; the last of the corn can go in early in the month Plant in containers: after starting pumpkin seeds, take a nap
July:
Plant in the ground only out of necessity – extreme necessity Plant in containers: continue napping
August:
Plant in the ground: nothing if you can avoid it Plant in containers: towards the end of the month, in a shaded location, the first of the winter veggies can be started, cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, fava beans, leeks, shallots, onions…
