What to plant this week in Long Beach, CA
Long Beach gardeners enjoy a frost-free week with minimums hovering around 35°F, allowing you to focus entirely on expanding your warm-season harvest. This is the ideal time to sow Daikon radish seeds directly into the ground while actively harvesting your abundant summer crops.
The next 7 days
Long Beach, CAGrowing in Long Beach right now
- Utilize our alkaline, sandy-loam soils by adding compost to improve water retention for heavy feeders like squash and melons.
- Take advantage of our mild evenings to extend outdoor dining with basil, borage, and summer savory without needing a cover crop.
- Monitor soil moisture closely during dry spells typical of Southern California summers, as our clay pockets in some neighborhoods hold less water than sandy areas.
- Plant fast-maturing Daikon radish now for a quick fall harvest before the intense late-summer heat.
Sow this week
1 crops- Daikon Radish
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
42 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans or pole beans now to maintain a steady supply of fresh pods throughout the summer.
- Mulch around newly planted okra and melons to retain moisture and keep roots cool in the heat.
- Thin out dense seedlings of sweet corn and zucchini to ensure proper air circulation and maximum yield.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for squash vine borers attacking your butternut and yellow summer squash vines; inspect stems near soil line weekly.
- Keep an eye out for aphids clustering on the undersides of zinnia and cosmos leaves, especially in warmer microclimates.
- Monitor for spider mites on sunflower and marigold foliage as temperatures remain consistently high.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants early in the morning to reduce evaporation and prevent leaf burn during the heat.
Harvest cucumbers daily when they are young and crisp to encourage the plant to produce more fruit.
Long Beach gardening questions
3Can I plant Daikon radish now in Long Beach?
Yes, this is the perfect time to sow Daikon radish directly into your garden beds while soil temps are favorable. Expect a quick harvest within 60 days before the peak summer heat sets in.
Which of my current crops should I prioritize harvesting this week?
Focus on gathering your Acorn Squash, Bush Beans, and Cucumbers now to prevent them from becoming over-mature or tough. Also don't forget to pull your Zucchini before it gets too large for easy storage.
Do I need protection for my Basil and Borage this week?
No additional protection is needed as Long Beach rarely sees frost, with temperatures staying well above freezing at night. These herbs will thrive in the current warm conditions without a cover crop.
Other cities in zone 10b
4See the full zone 10b guide → · Plan your Long Beach garden in SproutGuide →