When to Plant Tomatoes in California

For tomatoes in California, spring planting starts between Apr 1 (Butte County) and May 1 (Alameda County); fall planting runs Dec 1 to Mar 31, according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Photo: Ripe red tomatoes on the vine. Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Your county's dates for tomatoes

County

Dates follow the region the county is assigned to here, from the four regions in the UC table.

Tomato plant with fruit in a garden

Published dates for tomatoes in California

Type	Season	Region	Published dates	Source
Tomatoes	spring	Interior Valleys	April-May	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Tomatoes	spring	North & North Coast	May	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Tomatoes	spring	South Coast	April-July 15	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)
Tomatoes	winter	Desert Valleys	Dec-March	California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2, Table 'Recommended planting dates' (California Master Gardener Handbook Table 13.2)

Planting dates for tomatoes 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	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Calaveras	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Colusa	Apr 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	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Glenn	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Humboldt	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Imperial	n/a	Dec 1 to Mar 31
Inyo	n/a	Dec 1 to Mar 31
Kern	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Kings	Apr 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 Jul 15	n/a
Madera	Apr 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	Apr 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 Jul 15	n/a
Placer	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Plumas	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Riverside	n/a	Dec 1 to Mar 31
Sacramento	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
San Benito	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Bernardino	n/a	Dec 1 to Mar 31
San Diego	Apr 1 to Jul 15	n/a
San Francisco	May 1 to May 31	n/a
San Joaquin	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
San Luis Obispo	Apr 1 to Jul 15	n/a
San Mateo	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Santa Barbara	Apr 1 to Jul 15	n/a
Santa Clara	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Santa Cruz	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Shasta	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Sierra	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Siskiyou	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Solano	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Sonoma	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Stanislaus	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Sutter	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Tehama	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Trinity	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Tulare	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Tuolumne	May 1 to May 31	n/a
Ventura	Apr 1 to Jul 15	n/a
Yolo	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a
Yuba	Apr 1 to May 31	n/a

When to plant other crops in California

Peppers
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.

Peppers

Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Green Beans

Cucumbers

Squash

Lettuce

Onions

Planting tomatoes in California: questions

When do you plant tomatoes in California?

For tomatoes in California, spring planting starts between Apr 1 (Butte County) and May 1 (Alameda County); fall planting runs Dec 1 to Mar 31, according to UC Master Gardener Program.

Can I plant tomatoes in the fall in California?

Yes. Fall planting runs Dec 1 to Mar 31.

What frost date should I use for tomatoes?

Cold nights after planting can damage young plants. The California frost dates page shows how late frost runs in your county.

Where do these dates for tomatoes 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 might my county's dates differ?

Each county uses the dates for its region: North and North Coast, South Coast, Interior Valleys or Desert Valleys.

Photos: Ripe red tomatoes on the vine: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pile of ripe tomatoes: Jubair Bin Iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tomato plant with fruit in a garden: MavisLee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers: NPS, Public domain, 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.