Is It Time To Start?

[OROZCONLECHE]

So Ive been to alot of stores lately like, Walmart, Kmart, Big Lots, and So On, and I noticed that eveyone has there Garden Section Stocked up with all its stuff, So im assuming its time to start gardening outside here in California, Is It? or are they a bit to Early? Is it gana get Hotter from now on, or is it gana get any colder during this season?

[Intriguedbybonsai]

I'd give it a while, at least until March. Thankfully our winters don't last as long as most states. The nights here can be really cold (30-40°F), and certain seeds cannot handle temperatures that low. For the time being, you could plant your seeds indoors, and when spring rolls around, plant your sprouted seedlings outdoors.

[jal_ut]

Yes, for you in sunny Southern California, you can plant now. I would start with the cold hardy varieties. Carrots, peas, radish, turnips, dill, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, and onions.

Check this site

[jal_ut]

Look at this!

The hardiness zone map doesn't tell you when to plant, but gives you a good indication of your climate conditions.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Well I'm going to plant my carrots in that case and the rest indoors, just so confusing because the stores are bringing in all there merchendice

[Intriguedbybonsai]

I had no idea you could plant so many in this time of the year. Thanks for clearing that up, jal_ut!

[DeborahL]

Oroz, for plants I'd wait until April. When I've planted tomato plants too early I paid for it. The plants never did do well, and were so yellowed and weak I threw them out.
On the other hand, strawberries won't care, and of course the cool weather stuff won't either.
I wouldn't do basil, it's another sun lover.

[PunkRotten]

You can do cool weather stuff from late September to around March. Stuff like tomatoes, peppers, basil and some other herbs, melons, some flowers, need warmth and you should wait till about April. You can start the seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks ahead of time. Then when April comes aorund you got a nice size plant to transplant. Yeah you are gonna see the stores selling stuff right now. California is a big agricultural state. Gardening is like non stop throughout the year.

[rockhound]

Around here (zone 6b TN) the places that sell plants always have them out too early. I suspect they want to sell to newbies or overly enthusiastic gardeners that will set out early then have to come back and get some more.
I get pots and ferts, netting etc early but try to hold off on any tender plant for a while. Of course here they won't put anything tender out till March, still much too early unless you have lots of room to nurse it along inside.

[PunkRotten]

Yeah at lowes and home depot I see them doing the same. Selling plants wrong time of the year. They still got tomatoes and peppers on sale. They have been doing it all winter. They have no shame. Even during the Spring and Summer, they were selling cool weather crops.

[DeborahL]

I always get a nice little crop of strawberries in February. Why I do I have no idea !

[OROZCONLECHE]

I have some strawberry plants they are doing great even thought the berries are small they are rippening at the moment

[jal_ut]

You will do well to plant carrots, peas, radish, turnips, dill, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, and onions. now. These varieties are cold hardy and even if you get some light frost they will be fine.

Chard, beets and parsnips wait another two weeks. These are not quite so cold resistant.

Potatoes wait another month.

See if you can look up frost dates for your location. Once you are at the average last frost date, you can plant corn, squash and beans. I would wait a week past that to plant cucumbers. Plant out tomato and pepper plants at the same time, a week past av last frost.

Good luck.