When to plant in Taft Heights, CA
Planting dates worked out from Taft Heights's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Station used: New Cuyama Fire Stn · 28.4 km away · station 658 m, town 359 m. How we match towns to stations
The station sits 299 m higher than the town, 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 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 26 |
| Peas | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jun 8 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | May 23 |
| Beet | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | May 6 |
| Potato | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 2 |
| Kale | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 29 |
| Broccoli | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | May 16 |
| Cucumber | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 10 |
| Winter squash | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jul 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 19 – May 10 | Jun 18 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Jun 15 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 21 – Nov 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 3 – Mar 31 | Apr 10 |
| Basil | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 22 |
Taft Heights'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 |
|---|---|
| 1975 | May 21 |
| 1976 | Apr 29 |
| 1978 | May 24 |
| 1982 | Jun 7 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1984 | Jun 19 |
| 1985 | Apr 26 |
| 1986 | May 3 |
| 1988 | Apr 23 |
| 1989 | Mar 29 |
| 1990 | May 1 |
| 1991 | May 18 |
| 1992 | Feb 24 |
| 1993 | Apr 12 |
| 1994 | Mar 25 |
| 1995 | Apr 22 |
| 1996 | Apr 19 |
| 1997 | Apr 11 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 16 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | Apr 16 |
| 2003 | Apr 29 |
| 2007 | Apr 19 |
| 2008 | Apr 22 |
| 2011 | Apr 9 |
| 2012 | Apr 10 |
| 2013 | Mar 23 |
| 2014 | Apr 6 |
| 2015 | Apr 15 |
| 2016 | Apr 26 |
| 2017 | Apr 15 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Apr 9 |
| 2020 | Apr 7 |
| 2021 | Apr 14 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 3 |
| 2024 | Apr 7 |
| 2025 | Mar 19 |
| 2026 | Feb 22 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 146 |
| 1976 | 180 |
| 1978 | 152 |
| 1982 | 148 |
| 1983 | 180 |
| 1984 | 104 |
| 1985 | 181 |
| 1986 | 181 |
| 1988 | 205 |
| 1989 | 209 |
| 1990 | 184 |
| 1991 | 162 |
| 1992 | 258 |
| 1993 | 215 |
| 1995 | 219 |
| 1996 | 184 |
| 1997 | 196 |
| 1998 | 182 |
| 1999 | 206 |
| 2001 | 219 |
| 2002 | 199 |
| 2003 | 186 |
| 2007 | 216 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2011 | 208 |
| 2012 | 195 |
| 2013 | 220 |
| 2014 | 210 |
| 2015 | 202 |
| 2016 | 204 |
| 2017 | 215 |
| 2018 | 205 |
| 2019 | 187 |
| 2020 | 215 |
| 2021 | 180 |
| 2022 | 177 |
| 2023 | 178 |
| 2024 | 213 |
| 2025 | 259 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 18.7 °C |
| 1976 | 18.0 °C |
| 1978 | 18.2 °C |
| 1983 | 17.7 °C |
| 1985 | 19.7 °C |
| 1986 | 19.4 °C |
| 1995 | 19.0 °C |
| 1996 | 20.3 °C |
| 2011 | 19.3 °C |
| 2012 | 21.0 °C |
| 2013 | 21.0 °C |
| 2014 | 21.5 °C |
| 2015 | 20.5 °C |
| 2016 | 20.9 °C |
| 2017 | 21.3 °C |
| 2018 | 21.4 °C |
| 2019 | 20.6 °C |
| 2020 | 21.4 °C |
| 2021 | 22.4 °C |
| 2022 | 22.0 °C |
| 2023 | 20.1 °C |
| 2024 | 21.2 °C |
| 2025 | 21.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1975, Taft Heights's last spring frost has come about 7 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 9 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from New Cuyama Fire Stn (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.