Modesto, CA · zone 9b · ~308 frost-free days
When to plant in Modesto: frost dates and zone 9b.
In Modesto, the typical last spring frost lands around Jan 31 and the first fall frost around Dec 5, giving you about 308 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 Modesto, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Dec 27 to Feb 26 | Feb 7 to Apr 9 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 24 to Feb 7 | Sep 21 to Nov 20 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 24 to Jan 26 | Sep 9 to Oct 5 |
| Bush Bean | — | Jan 31 to Mar 23 | Aug 21 to Sep 23 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Feb 7 to May 9 | Aug 4 to Sep 4 |
| Pepper, bell | Jan 5 to Feb 26 | Feb 16 to Apr 9 | — |
| Kale | Nov 12 to Dec 10 | Dec 24 to Jan 21 | Sep 4 to Oct 20 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 10 to Jan 21 | Sep 21 to Nov 9 |
Modesto 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 Modesto 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 95354 in about 60 seconds.
Modesto planting questions
What planting zone is Modesto, CA?+
Modesto 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 Modesto?+
The typical last spring frost in Modesto, CA is around Jan 31. 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 Modesto?+
The typical first fall frost in Modesto, CA arrives around Dec 5, closing a growing season of roughly 308 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Modesto?+
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 31. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.