Planting windows for Carmel Valley
Computed from Carmel Valley's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-9 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Dec 12 – Dec 26 | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Jan 23 – Feb 20 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Jan 9 – Jan 23 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Jan 30 – Feb 20 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Jan 2 – Jan 16 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Jan 23 – Jan 30 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Jan 23 – Jan 30 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | Feb 27 – Mar 6 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | Feb 27 – Mar 6 |
| 🌿 Basil | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Mar 6 – Mar 13 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Oct 27 – Nov 24 |
Want this for all 50 crops, or as a printable seed-shelf schedule? Use the planting calendar and the seed starting scheduler — both can use Carmel Valley's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Carmel Valley
With roughly 291 frost-free days, Carmel Valley gardens fit long-season crops — melons, winter squash, sweet potatoes — with room left for spring and fall rounds of greens and roots. The first frost around Dec 8 is late enough that fall planting is a full second season, not an afterthought.