Zone 11 Planting Guide: When to Plant Vegetables in USDA Zone 11
USDA hardiness zone 11 (11a and 11b) covers places where the coldest winter night averages 40 to 50°F. This guide times seed-starting, transplanting, and fall planting for placeholder dates of Jan 31 and Dec 15 (frost is rare here — treat the cool season as your main season). Frost-free: the year is shaped by heat and rain, not frost — cool-season crops in the dry, mild winter months.
About these dates: Timings are counted from your average last spring frost date, which is only an average — a frost can still occur after it. Dates vary within a state by elevation, distance from water, and microclimate. Look up the frost date for your ZIP code (your state Cooperative Extension office or NOAA climate normals are good sources) and adjust for the current season’s weather and soil temperature.
Zone 11 frost dates
Frost is occasional to rare in zone 11. For 93% of its ZIP codes the nearest NOAA station records 32°F in fewer than half of years; elsewhere, brief frosts usually fall between December and February rather than on a reliable spring/fall date.
Frost dates: medians of the nearest NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals station (32°F, 50% probability) for each ZIP code in zone 11 (135 ZIPs). Zones: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP data, PRISM Climate Group (Oregon State University); this is a summary, not the official USDA map. Your local dates can differ by weeks — use the ZIP planner or frost-date tables.
What to plant each month in zone 11
| Month | What to plant (typical zone 11 timing) |
|---|---|
| January | Direct sow: lettuce Plant sets/transplants: onions Plant seed potatoes: potatoes Transplant: broccoli, cabbage, kale Direct sow / transplant: marigolds, zinnias |
| February | Transplant: basil, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes Direct sow: beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, sweet corn |
| September | Fall transplant: broccoli, cabbage |
| October | Fall sow: kale, lettuce, spinach |
| November | Start indoors: broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kale, peppers Fall sow: radishes Fall plant bulbs: daffodils |
| December | Start indoors: basil, marigolds, tomatoes, zinnias Direct sow: peas, radishes, spinach Fall plant bulbs: tulips Fall plant cloves: garlic |
Zone 11 planting calendar (23 crops)
Dates assume the typical zone 11 frost dates above; shift them with your own. Timing relative to frost:
| Plant | Task | Typical window |
|---|---|---|
| Basil | Start indoors | Dec 20 – Jan 3 |
| Basil | Transplant | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Beans | Direct sow | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Broccoli | Start indoors | Nov 22 – Dec 6 |
| Broccoli | Transplant | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Broccoli | Fall transplant | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Cabbage | Start indoors | Nov 22 – Dec 6 |
| Cabbage | Transplant | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Cabbage | Fall transplant | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Cucumbers | Direct sow | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Daffodils | Fall plant bulbs | Nov 17 – Dec 29 |
| Eggplant | Start indoors | Nov 22 – Dec 6 |
| Eggplant | Transplant | Feb 14 – Feb 21 |
| Garlic | Fall plant cloves | Dec 15 – Jan 12 |
| Kale | Start indoors | Nov 22 – Dec 6 |
| Kale | Transplant | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Kale | Fall sow | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Lettuce | Direct sow | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Lettuce | Fall sow | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Marigolds | Start indoors | Dec 20 – Jan 3 |
| Marigolds | Direct sow / transplant | Jan 31 – Feb 7 |
| Onions | Plant sets/transplants | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Peas | Direct sow | Dec 20 – Jan 3 |
| Peppers | Start indoors | Nov 22 – Dec 6 |
| Peppers | Transplant | Feb 14 – Feb 21 |
| Potatoes | Plant seed potatoes | Jan 3 – Jan 17 |
| Pumpkins | Direct sow | Feb 7 – Feb 21 |
| Radishes | Direct sow | Dec 27 – Jan 17 |
| Radishes | Fall sow | Nov 3 – Nov 17 |
| Spinach | Direct sow | Dec 20 – Jan 3 |
| Spinach | Fall sow | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Squash | Direct sow | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Sweet corn | Direct sow | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Tomatoes | Start indoors | Dec 6 – Dec 20 |
| Tomatoes | Transplant | Feb 7 – Feb 14 |
| Tulips | Fall plant bulbs | Dec 1 – Jan 12 |
| Zinnias | Start indoors | Dec 20 – Jan 3 |
| Zinnias | Direct sow / transplant | Jan 31 – Feb 14 |
Cool-season vs warm-season crops in zone 11
- Cool-season (peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, kale, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, garlic): tolerate light frost; plant in early spring and again late summer–fall.
- Warm-season (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, basil, marigolds, zinnias): frost-tender; plant after the last frost once soil warms.
States with large zone 11 areas
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in zone 11?
Much of zone 11 rarely or never freezes. Where frost does occur it is usually brief, in December–February.
What are zone 11 winter temperatures?
USDA zone 11 means an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 40 to 50°F (1991–2020), split into 11a (colder half) and 11b.
When should I plant tomatoes in zone 11?
Transplant tomatoes about 1–2 weeks after your last frost (typical zone 11: around Feb 7), once nights stay above 50°F. Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost.
Which states are in zone 11?
Large parts of Florida fall in zone 11 on the 2023 USDA map. Check your ZIP code, since zones vary within states.
Other zone guides
Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9 · Zone 10 · Zone map · Frost dates