When to plant in Fort Irwin, CA
Planting dates worked out from Fort Irwin's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Station used: Barstow · 51.3 km away · station 677 m, town 758 m. How we match towns to stations
The nearest reliable station is 51 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Jun 1 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Dec 27 – Jan 3 | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 12 |
| Peas | — | Jan 17 – Feb 14 | Mar 13 |
| Bush beans | — | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 8 |
| Beet | — | Jan 31 – Mar 14 | Mar 22 |
| Potato | — | Feb 7 – Feb 28 | Apr 18 |
| Kale | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 15 |
| Broccoli | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Jan 31 – Feb 21 | Apr 1 |
| Cucumber | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 17 |
| Winter squash | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Jun 21 |
| Sweet corn | — | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | May 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Jan 31 – Feb 21 | May 1 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 8 – Dec 6 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 17 – Feb 14 | Feb 24 |
| Basil | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 29 |
Fort Irwin's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Feb 27 |
| 1982 | Apr 1 |
| 1983 | Apr 7 |
| 1984 | Apr 19 |
| 1986 | Feb 12 |
| 1987 | Mar 21 |
| 1988 | Apr 22 |
| 1989 | Mar 13 |
| 1990 | Mar 14 |
| 1991 | Mar 27 |
| 1993 | Mar 2 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | Feb 27 |
| 1997 | Mar 1 |
| 1999 | Apr 10 |
| 2002 | Mar 19 |
| 2003 | Feb 10 |
| 2004 | Feb 14 |
| 2005 | Jan 31 |
| 2006 | Mar 14 |
| 2007 | Mar 2 |
| 2008 | Mar 6 |
| 2009 | Mar 10 |
| 2010 | Mar 14 |
| 2011 | Apr 9 |
| 2012 | Mar 8 |
| 2013 | Mar 8 |
| 2014 | Feb 4 |
| 2015 | Jan 22 |
| 2016 | Feb 5 |
| 2017 | Feb 24 |
| 2018 | Feb 26 |
| 2019 | Feb 23 |
| 2020 | Feb 12 |
| 2021 | Mar 1 |
| 2022 | Mar 8 |
| 2023 | Mar 2 |
| 2024 | Feb 13 |
| 2025 | Feb 9 |
| 2026 | Feb 23 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 271 |
| 1982 | 184 |
| 1983 | 227 |
| 1986 | 291 |
| 1987 | 237 |
| 1988 | 210 |
| 1990 | 257 |
| 1991 | 218 |
| 1993 | 259 |
| 1995 | 243 |
| 1996 | 275 |
| 1997 | 261 |
| 1999 | 226 |
| 2000 | 316 |
| 2002 | 267 |
| 2003 | 285 |
| 2005 | 299 |
| 2006 | 259 |
| 2007 | 265 |
| 2008 | 278 |
| 2009 | 250 |
| 2010 | 255 |
| 2011 | 212 |
| 2012 | 247 |
| 2013 | 272 |
| 2014 | 324 |
| 2015 | 292 |
| 2016 | 292 |
| 2017 | 267 |
| 2018 | 256 |
| 2019 | 250 |
| 2020 | 269 |
| 2021 | 269 |
| 2022 | 248 |
| 2023 | 252 |
| 2024 | 276 |
| 2025 | 295 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 25.4 °C |
| 1982 | 23.5 °C |
| 1983 | 23.2 °C |
| 1986 | 24.1 °C |
| 1987 | 24.5 °C |
| 1988 | 24.3 °C |
| 1989 | 25.1 °C |
| 1990 | 25.1 °C |
| 1992 | 25.2 °C |
| 1995 | 25.2 °C |
| 1996 | 26.3 °C |
| 1997 | 25.6 °C |
| 1999 | 24.6 °C |
| 2000 | 25.8 °C |
| 2002 | 26.1 °C |
| 2003 | 25.7 °C |
| 2004 | 25.4 °C |
| 2005 | 24.8 °C |
| 2006 | 25.9 °C |
| 2007 | 26.1 °C |
| 2008 | 25.9 °C |
| 2009 | 25.7 °C |
| 2010 | 24.5 °C |
| 2011 | 24.4 °C |
| 2012 | 25.9 °C |
| 2013 | 26.1 °C |
| 2014 | 26.1 °C |
| 2015 | 25.7 °C |
| 2016 | 26.0 °C |
| 2017 | 26.1 °C |
| 2018 | 26.7 °C |
| 2019 | 25.1 °C |
| 2020 | 25.9 °C |
| 2021 | 27.2 °C |
| 2022 | 26.6 °C |
| 2023 | 24.9 °C |
| 2024 | 26.4 °C |
| 2025 | 25.9 °C |
| 2026 | 26.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1981, Fort Irwin's last spring frost has come about 9 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 8 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Barstow (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.