When to plant in Santa Paula, CA
USDA Zone 10aEverything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Santa Paula, California — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.
Santa Paula's growing season is short at roughly -3 days, so succession planting is limited; lean on transplants over direct sowing for anything slow to mature. Heads up: the nearest complete-normals station is about 15 km from Santa Paula, so your yard's frost dates can differ — a low spot or a paved city center can shift them by a week. Zone 10a is warm enough that Santa Paula can grow subtropical perennials, and the short (or absent) frost period barely limits the annual calendar.
The average last spring frost in Santa Paula is now 33 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →
Frost probability
CAMARILLO AP · 1991–2020The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Santa Paula’s own odds, recorded at CAMARILLO AP.
| Threshold | SPRING 10% | SPRING 50% | SPRING 90% | FALL 10% | FALL 50% | FALL 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Feb 1 | Dec 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 17 | Jan 22 |
| 32°F | Feb 2 | Dec 31 | Dec 11 | Dec 7 | Dec 28 | Jan 29 |
Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.
What to plant now
TODAY · JULY 19Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.
Full-year planting calendar
Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Santa Paula, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.
Nearby weather stations
3 within 27 km · complete 32°F normalsWhen stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.
Santa Paula planting FAQ
When is the last spring frost in Santa Paula, CA?
Plan for the last spring frost in Santa Paula around December 31 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.
When is the first fall frost in Santa Paula, CA?
The first fall frost in Santa Paula typically arrives around December 28 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.
What hardiness zone is Santa Paula in?
Santa Paula is in USDA hardiness zone 10a. In zone 10a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.
How long is the growing season in Santa Paula?
There are roughly -3 frost-free days in Santa Paula (a short growing season), running from the average last frost around December 31 to the first fall frost near December 28.
When should I plant tomatoes in Santa Paula?
In Santa Paula, start tomato seeds indoors around November 5–November 19, then transplant seedlings outdoors around January 7 once the danger of frost has passed.
Never miss a window in Santa Paula
An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Santa Paula’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Nearby cities
8 within reach- Fillmore · 15 km
- Camarillo · 15 km
- Moorpark · 19 km
- San Buenaventura (Ventura) · 20 km
- Oxnard · 22 km
- Port Hueneme · 25 km
- Thousand Oaks · 25 km
- Simi Valley · 31 km
Frost dates recorded at CAMARILLO AP, 15 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Santa Paula, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00023136. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/santa-paula.