What to plant this week in Bakersfield, CA
With frost risks officially over until mid-December, Bakersfield gardeners are in full summer swing this week, focusing on rapid harvests of beans and melons while managing the intense afternoon heat. The dry air demands extra vigilance for transplant establishment if you've just added new perennials to your landscape.
The next 7 days
Bakersfield, CAGrowing in Bakersfield right now
- Amidst our typical drought conditions, ensure all newly sown sunflowers and pumpkins receive deep watering early in the day to beat the 95°F+ midday heat.
- Take advantage of Bakersfield's long growing season by immediately harvesting bush beans and cucumbers every few days to encourage heavier yields from your current plants.
- Soil temperatures are running hot; if planting corn or okra seeds this week, consider using a shade cloth over the bed for the first two weeks until seedlings establish deep roots.
- Since we lack a significant frost risk, now is the perfect time to plant cold-tender crops like edamame and malabar spinach that thrive in our specific valley climate but would fail elsewhere.
Sow this week
34 crops- Basil
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Start succession planting for bush beans and summer squash now to ensure a continuous harvest through the heat of August.
- Pinch back the tops of Basil, Shiso, and Thai Basil regularly today to encourage bushier growth and prevent flowering.
- Divide overcrowded Sunflowers or Zinnias if they are becoming leggy, replanting them for a fresh round of blooms.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites are becoming active on leafy greens due to the dry heat; spray water leaves or apply insecticidal soap early morning.
- Cucumber beetles are currently hunting down your bush beans and squash, so inspect the undersides of leaves daily for small yellow-and-black bugs.
- Aphids often cluster on new growth of sunflowers and zinnias in this week's warm temps; hand-pick colonies or use a strong jet of water to dislodge them.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of vegetable plants during the hottest part of the day to keep roots cool and soil moisture consistent.
Interplant fast-maturing Bush Beans with slower-growing Pumpkins or Winter Squash to maximize space in your garden bed.
Bakersfield gardening questions
3Can I still start sweet corn indoors, or should it go directly into the ground?
Given our current soil warmth and lack of frost risk, sow sweet corn seeds directly right now in full sun; indoor starting is unnecessary at this stage.
My basil plants are looking wilted in the midday heat—is that normal for Bakersfield?
Yes, this is common in our valley; prune off flower buds to force leafy growth and water deeply in the early morning to help them recover before evening.
What should I do with my winter squash vines if they stop growing suddenly?
This often happens when plants set fruit but struggle to produce new leaves due to heat stress; ensure they are getting at least one inch of water weekly and check for cucumber beetle damage.
Other cities in zone 9b
10See the full zone 9b guide → · Plan your Bakersfield garden in SproutGuide →