Regional guide

Placer County Elevation-Frost Vegetable Planting Guide

UC Placer County guide for elevation-adjusted frost dates, warm/cool crop windows, and crop-row examples.

Climate signals

• The UC Master Gardeners of Placer County page is titled Growing Vegetables in Placer County and links Vegetable Planting Guide 2026.
• The PDF is the UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Vegetable Planting Guide, Version 7.0, dated 4/1/2026.
• The Vegetable Planting Guide is based on about 1200 ft elevation.
• Winter/Spring planting at higher elevations should delay planting about 2 weeks per 1000 ft above 1200; lower elevations should plant about 2 weeks earlier per 1000 ft below 1200.
• Summer/Fall planting at lower elevations should delay planting about 2 weeks per 1000 ft below 1200; higher elevations should plant about 2 weeks earlier per 1000 ft above 1200.
• The frost table lists Roseville 165 ft 3/15, Lincoln 165 ft 3/15, Rocklin 250 ft 3/23, Loomis 400 ft 3/26, Granite Bay 480 ft 3/26, Penryn 625 ft 3/26, Newcastle 950 ft 4/2, Auburn 1225 ft 4/2, Meadow Vista 1700 ft 4/9, Applegate 2000 ft 4/9, Weimar 2250 ft 4/9, Colfax 2425 ft 4/9, and Foresthill 3225 ft 4/16.
• Frost dates are approximate due to recent climate changes and varying topography within Placer County.
• The related UC article says cool season crops grow best at 55-75 F and may tolerate slight frosts, while warm season crops grow best at 65-95 F with long and hot days.

Planning notes

• The article ties planting dates to local approximate first and last frost dates and recommends starting warm season plants indoors 6-8 weeks before planting with cold frames, row covers, and mini greenhouses for protection.
• Vegetables depend on day length, so Summer/Fall cool crops should approach maturity before sunlight falls below 10 hours because short days stop growth.
• Warm-season rows include eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes Until frost; winter squash; beans, green Until frost; corn; cucumber; melons; and okra Until frost.
• Cool-season rows include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli/cauliflower, chard, collards, kale, leeks, arugula, lettuce, spinach, onions/shallots with sets producing Green onions, beets, turnips, carrots, radish, and peas.
• Potatoes, garlic, fava beans, dried beans, sweet potato slips, summer squash, and shallots are source rows without priority links.
• Use priority catalog links as crop-row examples, not UC cultivar recommendations.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• Waltham Butternut Squash Vegetable · Warm · 95 days
• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 days
• Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
• Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
• Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
• Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
• Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
• Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
• American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Astro Arugula Vegetable · Cool · 35 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Evergreen Bunching Onion Vegetable · Shoulder · 65 days
• Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days

Related regional guides

• California Interior Valley Vegetable Planting Guide UC Master Gardener guide for Sacramento and San Joaquin Interior Valley timing, temperature bands, frost checks, and crop rows.
• Tulare/Kings San Joaquin Valley Vegetable Guide UC Master Gardener Tulare/Kings guide for San Joaquin Valley vegetable rows, protected starts, fall pest pressure, and crop examples.
• Sacramento Area Vegetable Planting Schedule UC Master Gardeners Sacramento guide for EHN 11 month-grid seed, transplant, and protected-start vegetable timing.
• Yolo County Spring Warm-Season Vegetable Guide UC ANR Savvy Sage guide for Yolo County April warm-season transition rows, soil-warmth cautions, and crop-row examples.
• Shasta County Valley Monthly Planting Guide UC ANR monthly guide for Shasta County valley areas covering protected starts, direct outside seed rows, and starter-plant timing.
• Butte County Foothill Planting Guide UC Master Gardeners Butte County foothill vegetable guide for elevation-adjusted frost timing and crop-row planning.

Source: UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Growing Vegetables in Placer County