What to plant this week in Sacramento, CA
Sacramento's week-long heat wave has officially pushed the city into peak growing season, meaning transplants are no longer needed and your summer crops are ready to thrive. With frost history firmly in the past since late January, focus entirely on maximizing production before the mid-November chill returns.
The next 7 days
Sacramento, CAGrowing in Sacramento right now
- Protect young beans and melons from Sacramento's intense afternoon sun by using shade cloth during the hottest part of the day to prevent leaf scorch.
- Amend your clay-heavy river valley soil with generous amounts of compost or organic matter to improve drainage and root penetration for heavy feeders like squash and corn.
- Capture every drop of rainwater this week; Sacramento's typical dry spells mean you must water deeply in the early morning hours before temperatures climb.
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
- Monitor pole beans and cucumbers closely for aphid colonies that explode rapidly under hot, stagnant air conditions.
- Check the undersides of tomato leaves and basil plants for spider mites, which are particularly active during Sacramento's dry summer heat.
- Watch for Japanese beetles targeting sunflowers and zinnias, often visible as skeletonized leaves on plants in full bloom.
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.
Sacramento gardening questions
3Can I finally plant my squash seeds directly into the ground now?
Yes, with recent temperatures holding steady above 50°F, it is safe to sow Winter Squash and Yellow Summer Squash outdoors. Ensure you water them immediately after planting to settle the dry soil around their fragile roots.
My Basil plants are slowing down; should I harvest more or prune them?
Since basil is listed for both sowing and harvesting, pinch off flower buds immediately to prevent seed formation and maintain leaf production. Harvest the outer leaves first to encourage bushier growth without stressing the plant.
How do I handle watering for my Corn crops in this heat?
Sweet Corn and Flour Corn require consistent moisture, so water deeply at the base of the plants every two days during this hot spell. Mulching around the base is critical to keep roots cool and reduce rapid evaporation from Sacramento's baked earth.
Other cities in zone 9b
10See the full zone 9b guide → · Plan your Sacramento garden in SproutGuide →