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