Gardening in Warm Climates
This section is for those of you who live in climates with no frost dates, or very early Spring frost dates and very late Fall frost dates. Truth be told, I envy you because you can garden year round (or nearly so!), but since most planting schedules are based on frost date, my Planting by Color system may or may not work for you. Even if you live in a place where there is no frost, you may still fit into a color group.
Arizona
Arizona experiences such a range of temperatures and conditions. Many areas have extreme heat in the summer, and some have freezing temperatures during the winter.
If you live in Arizona you may be able to follow my Planting By Color schedule, but it’s likely that you can grow more vegetables longer than will be listed. I strongly suggest finding a planting guide specific to your area.
- Maricopa County Planting Guide–here is a guide for Maricopa county. It shows that you can grow semi-hardy and hardy vegetables from fall-winter-spring, tender vegetables in the spring and fall, and very-tender vegetables (mostly melons) throughout the summer.
- Tucson Planting Guide–this is organized differently, but the same rules apply. Grow very-tender vegetables throughout the summer, tender vegetables in spring and fall, and hardy and semi-hardy vegetables from fall-winter-spring.
- Mohave County Guide–Has lots of advice, and a suggested schedule depending on your elevation.
- Arizona Extension Website
California
Like Arizona, the southern areas of California can get too hot to grow a lot of vegetables during the summer. Here are some approximate color groups, as well as a detailed planting schedule.
- North and North Coast (Monterey County and north)–Orange Group
- Interior Valleys (Sacramento, San Joaquin, and similar)–Red Group
- South Coast (San Luis Obispo County and south)–Pink Group
- California Planting Guide
- California Extension Website
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Nevada
New Mexico
Texas
Hopefully you’ve found a color that will work for you, and are ready to signup for the newsletter! If so, Don’t Forget To Validate your Subscription! You will receive an email with a link–you MUST click on the link to confirm you wish to be subscribed to the list.
As soon as you confirm, you will immediately begin receiving the e-course SEVEN STEPS TO GARDENING SUCCESS via email. During the spring and fall planting seasons you will receive a WEEKLY NEWSLETTER outlining when to prepare your garden, start seeds indoors, transplant, and plant directly in the garden.
If you still don’t find a color group, hopefully you’ve found the information you need for a successful garden.
Happy gardening!
Go here to see suggestions for California.
I live in La Mesa, CA zone 10. When shoul I sow kale, swiss chard, beets, collard green, bak choy, mustard green and broccoi Raab?
It sounds like you have a very late, or no, frost in your area. You can use my planting guides, but it’s likely that you can plant sooner and later than my recommendations. My whole system assumes you live in an area where it freezes during the winter, and planting is arranged around that.
For fall planting, you can follow any of the color groups. You can plant as late as the Goldenrod group, but keep in mind that you can probably plant cool-weather veggies as soon as temperatures drop below 80 degrees F.
According to more info link for my near by city my color is red. Is that spring color for my region? What will be fall color? Thanks
Ardda–sorry, I had to do some digging! I think you would be the Orange group. I added a planting guide for your area.
Sarah–if all the cities around you say “More Info” that means that you live in a very warm area, and may not even have frost dates. You can follow the California Planting guide. If you really want to get emails, just sign up for the White group and the Goldenrod group. Keep in mind that you can probably grow more plants sooner and/or later than my emails suggest. They will only be a general guideline for you. You can also plant based on hardiness.
Hi. I am not sure what color group I should be in, because each city near me says “more info”. I live in a beach city near LA. Since there is an ocean breeze, it’s not as hot as some of the places further inland. What color should I be?
Hi Emily,
What a God-send you are! Your site is absolutely fantastic and I so admire how much work you’ve done. Well, I live in Tampa, Florida, and I’m two months behind for the Spring planting season. I’ve decided to go with herbs, peas, and beans for now (based on the month-by-month planting guide), so my boys can at least see something grow, and then be ready for the August planting season (we’re blessed to have two, sometimes three, planting seasons here!). I was surprised to find that we don’t fit into a color group (it says “More Info”), so I was wondering if you could help us. We did go to the Florida link. It’s a great guide, but I’m hoping you can put us in a group. This is my first time square-foot gardening, and we just started composting yesterday! Should be ready in time for our August plantings. By the way, no trouble finding vermiculite here,so I’m looking forwarding to making my own Mel’s Mix.
Thank you in advance.
I live in Mohave County, AZ 3.850 ft elevation, we sometimes get snow in the winter if that helps, I need to know what I can grow in what seasons– Help.
Thank you so much and God bless
Alyx–Pink
Hi Emily, I am planting my first vegetable garden, and I’m so excited to find your website. I live next to Marina del Rey, CA, so that puts me in Southern California coastal climate. Do I fit into a color zone? Thanks in advance!
San Antonio colors are White and Olive–so you can follow those schedules. Is there a specific location you were looking for?
What about South Texas? HOT HOT HOT!
Sorry, just read the previous post. Should I follow pink and navy as well?
I am in Sherman Oaks, California. Do I fit in any color zone? Thanks in advance.
Sorry Leah, but you are upside down and backwards from us! My newsletter won’t help, but you might use my custom Planting By Color e-book. You can determine your own frost dates and fill them in, then the schedule tells you what to plant.
Hi!! Ummm…. how about Queensland, Australia??
From Michelle: I opened the new Excel doc, but there doesn’t seem to be any color ratings for most of southern California. We’re moving to Tustin, close to Santa Anna, semi-close to Costa Mesa and Garden Grove 45 minutes away from LA and none of those cities are listed. Suggestions for color groups?
My answer:
LA county does not have any frost dates. However, according to the link above for California, you live in the “South Coast” area and the spring planting dates are very similar to the Pink group. For a fall garden, you can follow the Navy group. I will warn–if you check the link above you will see that you can plant earlier and later than these groups, but if you want a schedule that should work, try Pink/Navy.
Lindsay, your colors are Blue and Maroon. Since you have a spring color, you don’t need to be on this list. It’s just for those who live in places that are too warm to have a color. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, go ahead and do so. If you have but need to update your fall color, follow the instructions in the email you received from me.
Hi! Just leaving a comment because I dearly want to do fall plantings but I am not on the list. I am planning on planting soon, I hope that is okay!
I live a few miles outside of cedar city utah. Excited for fall plants!!!
Lindsay
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Oops, I had a link for Florida, just forgot to post it!
Hi. I can’t believe how much work you’ve put into this! It’s amazing! Just wanted to let you know that I’m in Winter Haven, FL. I don’t fit into a color group and I’m not listed above either. Thanks for all you do! daisy