Help! Conflicting Planting Information

[rosemarymcelroy]

So, I am an obsessive charting gardener. Recently I've found CONFLICTING answers for when to plant vegetables (and fruits). I am not sure which source to trust because the answers are polar opposites.
One source was very specific in finding your location, which is where I discovered that I am 10b (instead of just 10)
The other source is a pdf created by a master gardener of San Diego county. they were specific to region as well.
This is how different it was (When to plant):

beans: source 1 - september through april
source 2 - march through august

corn: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - march through july

peppers: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - april through june

tomatoes: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - march through july

now as you can see, the problem continues for all of the warm season vegetable information. Now, my doubts are in the fact that they are warm season vegetables, so why would everything be planted in the cooler months as suggested in source 1? Is it simply to blazing hot here for them to sustain? Just from looking at it, it seems like source 2 is correct.

I just need my facts straight before it eats my brain :/

Thanks everyone.
Rosemary

[stella1751]

I recommend you go with the San Diego County Master Gardeners. They really know their stuff, having to go through regular local classes before they earn the title. Additionally, the website was probably written, certainly overseen, by the county extension office. I think summer heat and dryness plays a role in your area.

When I need advice up here in Wyoming, I use the Master Gardener website in Fort Collins, Colorado, which is the closest website specific to my region. Up here, in Wyoming, if you call the County Extension office with a gardening question, you are put through to a Master Gardener. I imagine they have something similar, perhaps even fancier, in your area.

[applestar]

I agree with Stella that the regionally local info source is probably the best. That said, I find neither of these to be very informative.

This is how different it was (When to plant):

beans: source 1 - september through april
source 2 - march through august

corn: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - march through july

peppers: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - april through june

tomatoes: source 1 - august through march
source 2 - march through july

Beans should differentiate between bush beans and pole beans as well as fesh eating vs dry beans since their maturity times are different. Beans don't produce well in the heat of the summer even in NJ.

Corn has vastly different maturity dates depending on variety.

Bell Peppers (should be separate from hot peppers) and tomatoes shut down or die in the heat of hot summer areas and I really think should indicate split growing seasons for such locations.
Also, it should indicate when to start seeds (indoors) vs. when to plant out. For example, in my area, tomatoes and peppers are started Feb-Mar and planted out Apr-May early Jun at latest.

If source 1's season seems opposite, it's possible you were looking at an Australian or other southern hemisphere site.

[rainbowgardener]

Here's a planting schedule that I like, that can be set for the different zones:

https://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/planting-schedules/zones-9-10-planting-schedule

Of course it is just general guidelines. But if you look at it closely, you will note that the guidelines for zone 9 and zone 10 (presumably 10a) aren't that different, but the guidelines for zone 10b are significantly different, moving much more towards planting the warm season crops starting in Aug or Sept to grow through the fall.

I think you are right just too hot to grow a lot of things where you are in mid summer. E.g. it says you can start tomatoes (this is about starting seed) anytime between Aug and March. This makes sense, because I know that once temps are above 85-90 tomatoes do not pollinate, set fruit, or ripen fruit well.

[soil]

plant all of those now if your in san diego. plant more beans and more corn every 3 weeks until july if you want a few extra harvests and have space. otherwise just plant once. if I was down there I would have already planted them all.

[jal_ut]

Zone 10? They are all right! Stop stressing.