Cool-Season Vegetables
What to plant from fall through early spring.
Fall is San Diego's best garden season
Cool-season crops grow best in mild temperatures. In Southern California we plant most of them from late summer through winter, when gardens need less water and pests slow down.
Roughly September through March, depending on the crop.
Days of 55–75°F. Most handle light frost; many get sweeter after a chill.
Winter rains help. Check soil moisture before running irrigation.
Inland valleys can frost. Protect seedlings on the coldest nights.
Lettuce
Sow a short row every 2–3 weeks for a steady harvest. Tolerates some shade.
Spinach
Loves cool weather and bolts quickly once days get long and warm.
Arugula
Peppery and fast. Pick young leaves for the mildest flavor; it bolts quickly once the weather warms.
Kale
Pick the outer leaves and the plant keeps producing for months.
Collard Greens
Harvest the lower leaves and the plant keeps producing for months. Cool nights make them sweeter.
Mustard Greens
Easy from seed. Eat young leaves raw in salads or cook the larger ones for a spicy kick.
Swiss Chard
Colorful, forgiving, and productive almost year-round in mild areas.
Broccoli
Set out transplants. After the main head, side shoots keep coming.
Cauliflower
Needs steady water and rich soil. Tie leaves over heads to keep them white.
Cabbage
Heavy feeder; work in compost and worm castings before planting.
Bok Choy
Harvest whole baby plants or just the outer leaves. Keep the soil evenly moist to prevent bolting.
Carrots
Sow seed directly in loose, stone-free soil and keep it moist to sprout.
Beets
Two crops in one: eat the greens young and the roots later.
Radishes
The fastest crop in the garden and a favorite first crop for kids.
Peas
Give them a trellis. Snap and snow peas are great eaten right off the vine.
Onions
Choose short-day varieties for Southern California.
Green Onions
Plant thickly and snip the tops as needed. They regrow, and you can even replant store-bought roots.
Garlic
Plant cloves in fall; harvest when the lower leaves brown in late spring.
Fava Beans
Delicious, and roots add nitrogen to the soil, which is great for clay.
Potatoes
Plant seed potatoes and keep hilling soil or mulch around stems.
Cilantro
Prefers cool weather; sow every few weeks since it bolts in heat.
Planting dates are a general guide for San Diego County. Your microclimate may shift them a few weeks either way.
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