When to Plant Peppers in California

For peppers in California, spring planting starts between Mar 1 (Imperial County) and May 1 (Alameda County), according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Photo: Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers. NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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When to plant peppers in your county

County

Counties are matched to one of the four UC regions, and the region sets the dates.

Wave washing a beach beneath sandy bluffs on the California Coastal National Monument

Yellow desert wildflowers on dark volcanic ground near Amboy Crater

Wildflowers on a rocky slope in Short Canyon, Owens Peak Wilderness

Published dates for peppers in California

Type	Season	Region	Published dates	Source
Peppers	spring	Desert Valleys	March	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Peppers	spring	Interior Valleys	May	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Peppers	spring	North & North Coast	May	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Peppers	spring	South Coast	April-May	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)

Planting dates for peppers by California county

County	Spring	Summer and fall
Alameda	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Alpine	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Amador	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Butte	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Calaveras	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Colusa	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Contra Costa	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Del Norte	May 1 to May 31	n/a
El Dorado	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Fresno	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Glenn	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Humboldt	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Imperial	Mar 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Inyo	Mar 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Kern	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Kings	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Lake	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Lassen	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Los Angeles	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Madera	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Marin	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Mariposa	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Mendocino	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Merced	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Modoc	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Mono	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Monterey	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Napa	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Nevada	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Orange	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Placer	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Plumas	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Riverside	Mar 1 to Mar 31	n/a
Sacramento	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Benito	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Bernardino	Mar 1 to Mar 31	n/a
San Diego	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
San Francisco	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Joaquin	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Luis Obispo	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
San Mateo	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Santa Barbara	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Santa Clara	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Santa Cruz	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Shasta	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Sierra	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Siskiyou	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Solano	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Sonoma	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Stanislaus	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Sutter	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Tehama	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Trinity	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Tulare	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Tuolumne	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Ventura	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Yolo	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Yuba	May 1 to May 31	n/a

More California planting guides

Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Lima Beans
Peas
Cucumbers
Squash
Winter Squash
Pumpkins
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Okra
Eggplant
Lettuce
Spinach
Kale
Mustard Greens
Turnips
Swiss Chard
Cabbage
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Kohlrabi
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Rutabagas
Parsley

More planting dates for California

Planting dates for each crop in California, from the UC Master Gardener Program calendar.

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Green Beans

Cucumbers

Squash

Lettuce

Onions

Planting peppers in California: questions

When do you plant peppers in California?

For peppers in California, spring planting starts between Mar 1 (Imperial County) and May 1 (Alameda County), according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Can I plant peppers in the fall in California?

The UC Master Gardener Program calendar used here lists no fall window for peppers.

How does frost timing change peppers planting?

Spring windows follow the last frost and fall windows end before the first frost. See the California frost dates page for your county.

Where do these dates for peppers come from?

California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2 Time of planting (UC Master Gardener Program statewide page; table 'Recommended planting dates', source: California Master Gardener Handbook, Table 13.2).

Why do the dates differ by county?

The calendar splits the state into four regions, and each county takes its region's dates.

Rocky shore with sea stacks on the California Coastal National Monument

Photos: Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Rocky shore with sea stacks on the California Coastal National Monument: mypubliclands, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Wave washing a beach beneath sandy bluffs on the California Coastal National Monument: mypubliclands, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Yellow desert wildflowers on dark volcanic ground near Amboy Crater: blmcalifornia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Wildflowers on a rocky slope in Short Canyon, Owens Peak Wilderness: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Ripe red tomatoes on the vine: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Potato plant growing in a garden bed: Kolforn (Kolforn), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Field of sweet corn in summer: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Clusters of long green bean pods hanging from a climbing bean vine: Nirajan_pant, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cucumber vines climbing a wooden trellis in a kitchen garden: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Squash plant with yellow blossoms and spreading stems in a straw-mulched garden: Mary O'Neill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Lettuce plants growing in rows: AfroBrazilian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Long rows of green onion plants growing in sandy farm soil: ליזי שאנן, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.