Santa Maria, CA Planting Dates — Moon Phase Garden

The four dates that matter

Date	When	What it means
Last spring frost (50%)	Feb 4	Half of all years see a freeze after this date. It is an average, not a guarantee.
Last spring frost (10%)	Mar 16	Only one year in ten freezes after this. Use it for anything you cannot afford to replant.
First fall frost (50%)	Dec 13	Half of all years freeze before this date. Fall crops are counted back from here.
First fall frost (10%)	Nov 21	An early-freeze year. If a crop must finish, aim to harvest before this.

USDA zone 9b 312 frost-free days Elevation 243 ft Station Santa Maria Public Ap

Spring & summer planting in Santa Maria

A mild-winter note. Santa Maria's last frost lands so early that several of these windows fall in late autumn of the previous calendar year — that is not a mistake, it is how a long season works here. Read this table together with the fall one below rather than as two separate seasons.

Dates are calculated from this location's own last-frost date, not from a generic zone chart. “Best moon days” are the days inside each window that fall in the crop's traditional phase — the same rule the app uses.

Crop	Start seed indoors	Plant outdoors	Best moon days	Days to harvest
Broccoli transplant	Dec 3	Jan 5 – Feb 4	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Brussels Sprouts transplant	Dec 3	Jan 5 – Feb 4	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	90–110
Leek transplant	Nov 26	Jan 5 – Feb 4	Jan 5–9, Feb 2 Waning Gibbous	100–120
Lettuce (head) transplant	Dec 17	Jan 5 – Feb 4	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	60–85
Parsley either	Dec 3	Jan 5 – Feb 11	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	70–90
Parsnip direct sow	—	Jan 5 – Feb 11	Feb 1 Full Moon	100–150
Shallot cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Jan 5 – Feb 4	Jan 5–9, Feb 2 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Beet direct sow	—	Jan 7 – Feb 25	Feb 1 Full Moon	50–65
Kohlrabi either	Dec 24	Jan 7 – Feb 11	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	45–60
Carrot direct sow	—	Jan 14 – Feb 25	Feb 1 Full Moon	65–85
Cauliflower transplant	Dec 3	Jan 14 – Feb 4	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Cilantro direct sow	—	Jan 14 – Feb 25	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	45–70
Swiss Chard direct sow	—	Jan 14 – Mar 6	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	50–60
Dill direct sow	—	Jan 21 – Mar 6	Jan 21–24, Feb 18–19 Waxing Crescent	40–60
Cucumber either	Jan 14	Feb 4 – Mar 6	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–70
Green Beans (bush) direct sow	—	Feb 4 – Mar 21	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–65
Oregano transplant	Dec 10	Feb 4 – Feb 25	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sage transplant	Dec 10	Feb 4 – Feb 25	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sweet Corn direct sow	—	Feb 4 – Mar 21	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–100
Thyme transplant	Dec 10	Feb 4 – Feb 25	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Zucchini / Summer Squash either	Jan 14	Feb 4 – Mar 6	Feb 24 First Quarter	45–60
Basil either	Dec 24	Feb 11 – Mar 6	Feb 18–23 Waxing Crescent	30–60
Dry Beans direct sow	—	Feb 11 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	85–100
Pole Beans direct sow	—	Feb 11 – Mar 16	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–75
Pumpkin direct sow	Jan 14	Feb 11 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	90–120
Rosemary transplant	Feb 4	Feb 11 – Mar 6	Feb 24 First Quarter	cut as needed
Tomatillo transplant	Dec 24	Feb 11 – Mar 6	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–75
Tomato transplant	Dec 24	Feb 11 – Mar 6	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–85
Winter Squash direct sow	Jan 14	Feb 11 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	85–110
Cantaloupe / Muskmelon either	Jan 14	Feb 18 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	75–90
Eggplant transplant	Dec 10	Feb 18 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–90
Okra direct sow	Jan 7	Feb 18 – Mar 16	Feb 24 First Quarter	50–70
Pepper transplant	Dec 10	Feb 18 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	60–90
Sweet Potato slips	—	Feb 18 – Mar 16	Mar 4–9 Waning Gibbous	90–150
Watermelon either	Jan 14	Feb 18 – Mar 11	Feb 24 First Quarter	70–90
Strawberry (crowns) transplant	—	Dec 6 – Jan 14	Jan 3 Full Moon	perennial — first real harvest next season
Garlic cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Dec 19 – Jan 19	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	240–300
Asparagus (crowns) transplant	—	Dec 24 – Jan 28	Dec 27, Jan 25 First Quarter	perennial — first real harvest 2–3 years
Chives either	Dec 10	Dec 24 – Jan 28	Dec 24–26, Jan 19–21 Waxing Crescent	75–90
Onion (from sets/transplants) cloves/sets	—	Dec 24 – Jan 28	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Peas (English/snap) direct sow	—	Dec 24 – Jan 28	Dec 27, Jan 25 First Quarter	55–75
Spinach direct sow	—	Dec 24 – Jan 28	Dec 24–26, Jan 19–21 Waxing Crescent	35–50
Cabbage transplant	Dec 3	Dec 31 – Jan 28	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	65–90
Collards either	Dec 24	Dec 31 – Feb 18	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–85
Kale either	Dec 24	Dec 31 – Feb 4	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	50–65
Lettuce (leaf) either	Dec 31	Dec 31 – Feb 25	Jan 19–24 Waxing Crescent	40–55
Potato cloves/sets	—	Dec 31 – Feb 4	Jan 3, Feb 1 Full Moon	70–120
Radish direct sow	—	Dec 31 – Feb 25	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	22–35
Turnip direct sow	—	Dec 31 – Feb 11	Jan 4–9 Waning Gibbous	40–60

Fall planting in Santa Maria

Fall dates count backward from the first frost, and they add time back for the “fall factor” — days are shortening and cooling, so a crop grows slower than the seed packet promises. Sowing late is the single most common way a fall garden fails.

Crop	Sow or set out	Best moon days	Days to harvest	Hardiness
Tomato	Jul 28 – Sep 2	Aug 19	60–85	very tender
Brussels Sprouts	Jul 31 – Aug 17	Aug 13–17	90–110	hardy
Potato	Aug 5 – Sep 6	Aug 27	70–120	semi-hardy
Sweet Corn	Aug 10 – Sep 2	Aug 19	60–100	tender
Pole Beans	Aug 20 – Sep 2	—	60–75	tender
Parsley	Aug 23 – Sep 6	—	70–90	semi-hardy
Okra	Aug 25 – Sep 24	Sep 18	50–70	very tender
Cabbage	Aug 30 – Sep 11	Sep 11	65–90	hardy
Carrot	Aug 30 – Sep 11	—	65–85	semi-hardy
Collards	Aug 30 – Sep 21	Sep 11–16	55–85	hardy
Cucumber	Aug 30 – Sep 12	—	50–70	tender
Broccoli	Sep 4 – Sep 21	Sep 11–16	55–80	hardy
Cauliflower	Sep 4 – Sep 21	Sep 11–16	55–80	semi-hardy
Green Beans (bush)	Sep 4 – Sep 12	—	50–65	tender
Lettuce (head)	Sep 4 – Sep 16	Sep 11–16	60–85	semi-hardy
Peas (English/snap)	Sep 4 – Sep 21	Sep 18	55–75	hardy
Beet	Sep 9 – Sep 26	Sep 26	50–65	semi-hardy
Kale	Sep 9 – Sep 26	Sep 11–16	50–65	hardy
Swiss Chard	Sep 9 – Sep 26	Sep 11–16	50–60	semi-hardy
Zucchini / Summer Squash	Sep 9 – Sep 17	—	45–60	tender
Basil	Sep 14 – Oct 2	Sep 14–17	30–60	very tender
Kohlrabi	Sep 14 – Oct 1	Sep 14–17	45–60	hardy
Cilantro	Sep 19 – Oct 1	—	45–70	semi-hardy
Lettuce (leaf)	Sep 19 – Oct 6	—	40–55	semi-hardy
Turnip	Sep 19 – Oct 6	Sep 27–Oct 2	40–60	hardy
Spinach	Sep 24 – Oct 11	Oct 11	35–50	hardy
Dill	Sep 29 – Oct 6	—	40–60	semi-hardy
Radish	Sep 29 – Oct 24	Sep 29–Oct 2	22–35	hardy
Garlic	Nov 13 – Jan 3	Nov 25–29, Dec 24	240–300	hardy
Shallot	Nov 27 – Dec 28	Nov 27–29, Dec 24–26	90–120	hardy

Bottom line: the 50% frost date is a coin flip, not a green light. If you would be sick about losing a flat of tomatoes, plant to the Mar 16 date instead and keep a row cover handy either way.

Where these numbers come from

The frost dates on this page are observed station normals, not estimates: they come from Santa Maria Public Ap (GHCN USW00023273), one of 6,808 U.S. stations in NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Crop timing is expressed as offsets from your frost dates, drawn from university Extension planting guides.

How precise is any of this?

Extension recommendations for the same crop routinely disagree by two to four weeks, and occasionally more, so these offsets should be presented as windows and starting points rather than deadlines. Three things drive the spread. (1) Regional risk tolerance: for warm-season crops, Colorado State and Utah State put tomatoes, peppers and melons out about 14 days after the last frost, while University of Missouri's calendar works out to roughly 25-35 days after the last frost and University of Maryland's window runs from the frost date itself out to 45 days past it. That is a real 6-week spread for the single most popular garden crop, and it exists because a short-season mountain state is optimizing against a short season while a humid continental state is optimizing against cold, wet spring soil. (2) Soil temperature versus calendar date: most Extension services now say the honest trigger is soil temperature at 4 inches, not the frost date, and the frost-relative number is a convenience translation. A cold, wet spring can push the real date two or three weeks past the calendar recommendation. (3) Days-to-maturity is variety-specific and is measured differently for direct-seeded versus transplanted crops - seed catalogs count from transplant date for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cole crops, but from sowing for roots and greens - so a 'days to maturity' range of 60-85 for tomato is genuinely 60-85 depending on which packet you bought. Additionally, the average last frost is a 50% probability, meaning half of all years have a frost after that date; Extension services commonly advise waiting 1-2 weeks past it for anything frost-tender, or being prepared to cover. Treat every number here as plus or minus about 10-14 days.

On the station itself: a weather station is one point. Cities hold their heat, valleys pool cold air, and a garden on a north slope can run two weeks behind one a mile away. Treat this page as your starting point and let your own garden correct it — that is exactly what the journal in the app is for.

Nearby locations

Santa Barbara, CA zone 10b Ventura, CA zone 10a Oxnard, CA zone 10a Bakersfield, CA zone 9b Simi Valley, CA zone 10a Thousand Oaks, CA zone 10a

Want this on your phone, in your garden? Moon Phase Garden keeps your frost dates, your planting windows and tonight's moon phase in one place, works offline, and lets you override these dates with what your own garden actually does. Free and ad-free.

Get it on Google Play · Plan a bed · Harvest every month

← All planting calendars

Santa Maria, California Planting Calendar

The four dates that matter

Spring & summer planting in Santa Maria

Fall planting in Santa Maria

Where these numbers come from

Nearby locations

Planting reminders for Santa Maria