Frost dates for Watsonville, CA
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
January 31
typical year
Safe to plant
March 9
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 9
typical year
Growing season
317 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Jan 3 – 17 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 20 – Jan 10 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 3 – 24 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 3 – Feb 14 | Oct 28 – Nov 11 |
| Onions | – | Jan 3 – 17 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 10 – 24 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 10 – 31 | Sep 16 – 30 |
| Beets | – | Jan 3 – 17 | Sep 30 – Oct 14 |
| Kale | Nov 22 – Dec 6 | Jan 3 – 17 | Sep 30 – Oct 14 |
| Broccoli | Nov 22 – Dec 6 | Jan 17 – 31 | Sep 30 – Oct 14 |
| Cabbage | Nov 8 – 22 | Jan 3 – 17 | Sep 30 – Oct 14 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 28 – Nov 18 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 12 – 26 | Mar 9 – 23 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 5 – 19 | Mar 16 – 30 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 9 – 30 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 9 – 30 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 9 – Sep 30 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | – |
| Basil | Feb 2 – 16 | Mar 16 – 23 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | March 9 | January 31 | December 28 |
| Fall frost before | November 20 | December 9 | January 12 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around January 3 (January 31 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 25.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station WATSONVILLE MUNI AP, CA US (USW00023277), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 8 miles:
95003, 95019
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.