When to Plant Spinach in California
California spans USDA hardiness 5b to 11a (zones 5b to 11a on this page). Plant spinach by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a · Zone 7b · Zone 8a · Zone 8b · Zone 9a · Zone 9b · Zone 10a · Zone 10b · Zone 11a
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 26
Transplant outdoors
Apr 2
Projected first harvest
May 14
fall planting
Direct sow
Aug 31
Projected first harvest
Oct 12
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 21
Transplant outdoors
Mar 28
Projected first harvest
May 9
fall planting
Direct sow
Sep 5
Projected first harvest
Oct 17
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 6b
Average last spring frost
April 20
Average first fall frost
October 15
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 16
Transplant outdoors
Mar 23
Projected first harvest
May 4
fall planting
Direct sow
Sep 10
Projected first harvest
Oct 22
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 7a
Average last spring frost
April 15
Average first fall frost
October 20
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 11
Transplant outdoors
Mar 18
Projected first harvest
Apr 29
fall planting
Direct sow
Sep 15
Projected first harvest
Oct 27
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 7b
Average last spring frost
April 10
Average first fall frost
October 30
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 6
Transplant outdoors
Mar 13
Projected first harvest
Apr 24
fall planting
Direct sow
Sep 25
Projected first harvest
Nov 6
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 8a
Average last spring frost
April 1
Average first fall frost
November 10
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Jan 28
Transplant outdoors
Mar 4
Projected first harvest
Apr 15
fall planting
Direct sow
Oct 6
Projected first harvest
Nov 17
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 8b
Average last spring frost
March 20
Average first fall frost
November 20
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Jan 16
Transplant outdoors
Feb 20
Projected first harvest
Apr 3
fall planting
Direct sow
Oct 16
Projected first harvest
Nov 27
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 9a
Average last spring frost
March 1
Average first fall frost
December 1
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Dec 28
Transplant outdoors
Feb 1
Projected first harvest
Mar 15
fall planting
Direct sow
Oct 27
Projected first harvest
Dec 8
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 9b
Average last spring frost
February 15
Average first fall frost
December 15
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Dec 14
Transplant outdoors
Jan 18
Projected first harvest
Mar 1
fall planting
Direct sow
Nov 10
Projected first harvest
Dec 22
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 10a
Average last spring frost
January 30
Average first fall frost
December 30
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Nov 28
Transplant outdoors
Jan 2
Projected first harvest
Feb 13
fall planting
Direct sow
Nov 25
Projected first harvest
Jan 6
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 10b
Average last spring frost
January 30
Average first fall frost
December 30
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Nov 28
Transplant outdoors
Jan 2
Projected first harvest
Feb 13
fall planting
Direct sow
Nov 25
Projected first harvest
Jan 6
spring planting
fall planting
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →
Spinach planting calendar for California, Zone 11a
Zone 11a doesn't get a seasonal frost — spinach plants on a warm/cool-season calendar instead of frost dates.
Best planting window
Cool season (≈ Sep–Feb)
Time to harvest
~42 days
🌴 Your zone never frosts, so planting is timed to the cooler vs. warmer seasons rather than a frost date.
Most spinach mature in about 41 to 45 days depending on the variety.
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
3 varieties of spinach in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with spinach
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
🌱 Grow spinach with a calendar built for your exact yard
HomeSown turns your ZIP code into a personalized planting calendar, watering reminders, and pest help. Free to start.
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