When to plant garlic in California
California spans USDA zones 6b–11a, so the right time to plant garlic shifts by weeks across the state. The window to plant for fall/overwintering runs from about August 28 in Truckee to January 2 in Murrieta — below are local dates for 497 cities, each computed from its own frost dates.
| City | Zone | Last frost | First frost | Fall-plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 10b | January 2 | December 26 | November 28 – December 12 |
| San Diego | 10b | January 6 | December 21 | November 23 – December 7 |
| San Jose | 9b | January 2 | December 25 | November 27 – December 11 |
| San Francisco | 10a | December 30 | December 25 | November 27 – December 11 |
| Fresno | 9b | January 14 | December 14 | November 16 – November 30 |
| Sacramento | 9b | January 12 | December 16 | November 18 – December 2 |
| Long Beach | 10b | January 9 | January 5 | December 8 – December 22 |
| Oakland | 10a | January 7 | December 23 | November 25 – December 9 |
Garlic in California: FAQ
When can I plant garlic in California?
Across California, the time to fall-plant garlic spans roughly August 28 in Truckee to January 2 in Murrieta, each following that city's local frost dates.
Does the garlic planting date vary across California?
Yes. California publishes 497 cities with their own frost dates, so the right garlic planting window shifts by weeks between the warmest and coldest parts of the state — use your city's page for the exact dates.
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