When to Plant Tomatoes in Los Angeles
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GardenSays
Los Angeles, CA is essentially frost-free — plant tomatoes in late winter for a spring crop, or late summer for a fall crop.
- Climate
- Frost-free
- Spring window
- Feb – Mar
- Fall window
- Aug – Sep
Los Angeles, CA rarely sees frost, so the usual "count from the last frost date" method doesn't apply. The limiting factor is summer heat, not cold: tomatoes struggle through the hottest months, so the classic windows are a late-winter planting (February-March) and a late-summer planting (August-September) for a fall-winter harvest.
Calculated result · 3 verified sources · Checked 2026-07-15 · How we decide
Why
Check your county extension's vegetable planting calendar for the precise local windows — frost-free regions vary more by heat than by cold.
- Without a frost boundary, planting is timed around heat waves and day length instead.
- Two shorter seasons usually out-produce one long one in hot climates.
When this doesn't apply
- Inland or elevated microclimates can still catch a light frost — check your specific area.
How this was calculated
- 1. Frost data
Los Angeles, CA: no reliable frost dates in NOAA normals (frost rare or absent).
Data sources
- University of Minnesota Extension — Growing tomatoes in home gardens — Start tomato seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost; transplant after all danger of frost, once soil has warmed. (checked 2026-07-15)
- NOAA NCEI — 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (freeze date probabilities) (checked 2026-07-15)
- National Gardening Association — frost date lookup (checked 2026-07-15)
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