Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in California
California’s coldest month carries an average daily minimum of 49.1°F at the Los Angeles reference station.
Gardening in California
Everything we have worked out for California: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Los Angeles, the last spring freeze falls around no freeze occurs in an average year and the first fall freeze falls around no freeze occurs in an average year, USDA zones 5a-11a, 4,719 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic is the awkward one: only 0 weeks below 40 °F, where it needs six to split into cloves. Chill the cloves before planting, or grow a softneck type.
Elsewhere on the property in California: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Growing Spring Bulbs in Containers in California
California’s coldest month averages a 49.1°F low in Los Angeles, according to NOAA Climate Normals.
Growing Potatoes in California: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
California splits into two potato climates. Along the coast and through the Los Angeles basin, frost basically never happens and summer heat rarely…
Canning at Altitude in California: What Your Elevation Changes
California runs from sea level to over 14,000 feet, so the answer to “does altitude matter for my canner” depends entirely on your address, not on the…
The Best Onion Varieties for California
California sits at 33.94 degrees north latitude, based on the Los Angeles weather station, and gets 14 hours and 16 minutes of daylight on the longest…
The Best Grass Seed for California Lawns
Los Angeles gets no freeze at all, but grass seed choices differ sharply between the coast, the Central Valley, and California’s mountain elevations.
Watering a Garden in California: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
California’s summer weather leaves almost nothing for a garden to drink, and the sun makes up the difference fast.
California Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
Los Angeles has no measurable frost in an average year, per NOAA, so this calendar sets planting times around heat, soil warmth, and water instead of a freeze date.
Flowers That Actually Thrive in California, and the Ones That Struggle
A practical look at which flowers hold up in California’s dry, mild climate, which natives to plant, and which perennials need zone-checking first.
Planting Spring Bulbs in California: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
In most of California, planting bulbs in California has nothing to do with frost and everything to do with cold in a different sense: the six to eight…