Fresno, CA · zone 9b · ~322 frost-free days
When to plant in Fresno: frost dates and zone 9b.
In Fresno, the typical last spring frost lands around Jan 24 and the first fall frost around Dec 12, giving you about 322 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Fresno, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Dec 20 to Feb 19 | Jan 31 to Apr 2 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 17 to Jan 31 | Sep 28 to Nov 27 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 17 to Jan 19 | Sep 16 to Oct 12 |
| Bush Bean | — | Jan 24 to Mar 16 | Aug 28 to Sep 30 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Jan 31 to May 2 | Aug 11 to Sep 11 |
| Pepper, bell | Dec 29 to Feb 19 | Feb 9 to Apr 2 | — |
| Kale | Nov 5 to Dec 3 | Dec 17 to Jan 14 | Sep 11 to Oct 27 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 3 to Jan 14 | Sep 28 to Nov 16 |
Fresno sits in Zone 9b, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Fresno garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 93721 in about 60 seconds.
Fresno planting questions
What planting zone is Fresno, CA?+
Fresno is in USDA hardiness zone 9b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 9b here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Fresno?+
The typical last spring frost in Fresno, CA is around Jan 24. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Fresno?+
The typical first fall frost in Fresno, CA arrives around Dec 12, closing a growing season of roughly 322 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Fresno?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Jan 24. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.