What to plant this week in Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara gardeners are in the thick of summer abundance with no frost worries, meaning you can aggressively sow warm-season giants like watermelons and pumpkins while harvesting basil and beans that have been thriving all season. This week marks a critical transition point where your early-planted crops peak in flavor just as heatwaves demand increased irrigation to combat the region's typical dry spells.
The next 7 days
Santa Barbara, CAGrowing in Santa Barbara right now
- The Santa Barbara Channel creates cool maritime airflows at night, so protect tender seedlings like cosmos and zinnias from sudden coastal breezes with light row covers or strategic planting near windbreaks.
- Soil here is often sandy or rocky; amend heavy clay pockets with compost immediately before sowing bush beans or cucumbers to ensure rapid root penetration in our fast-draining terrain.
- Monitor soil moisture daily during this dry season; apply deep, infrequent watering directly at the root zone rather than overhead to prevent salt buildup from our hard water and preserve leaf health on okra and squash.
Sow this week
32 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- 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
34 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- 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
- Succession sow bush beans every two weeks to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the summer heat.
- Pinch back the tops of zucchini and yellow summer squash to encourage more fruit production rather than large vines.
- Add compost or aged manure around the base of okra and tomatoes to retain moisture in the dry air.
- Deadhead spent flowers on sunflowers and cosmos to keep them blooming for pollinators all season long.
Pest & disease watch
- Aphids are surging on young nasturtium and fennel plants due to the recent heat wave; treat with a strong spray of insecticidal soap early in the morning.
- Spider mites are becoming active on sunflowers and marigolds as temperatures climb above 85°F, so inspect undersides of leaves for stippling damage.
- Cutworms may still be lurking in mulch around zucchini and squash hills, requiring hand-picking at dusk before they sever new growth.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants every 2-3 days to maintain consistent soil moisture during this hot weather.
Harvest basil and leafy greens like Malabar spinach in the cool morning hours for the crispest flavor and best texture.
Santa Barbara gardening questions
3Can I finally plant my summer squashes and melons now without worrying about frost?
Yes, Santa Barbara's 10b zone guarantees no frost risk, so you can confidently sow watermelon, cantaloupe, and yellow squash seeds directly in the ground this week. These warm-season crops thrive immediately once the soil warms above 65°F.
My basil is ready to harvest but looks a bit leggy; should I cut it back hard?
Definitely prune your basil plants by one-third, cutting just above a leaf pair to encourage bushier growth and prevent bolting in the intense summer sun. This technique keeps the plant productive for weeks longer while you enjoy fresh Thai or sweet basil flavors.
How do I handle the dry Santa Barbara winds that are damaging my zinnias and cosmos?
Plant these tall annuals on the leeward side of your home or under a trellis to shield them from the persistent coastal breeze, which can snap stems before they bloom. Staking plants now will prevent wind shear damage as flowers form in our dry season.
Other cities in zone 10b
4See the full zone 10b guide → · Plan your Santa Barbara garden in SproutGuide →