Located in the hottest areas of California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida, Zone 10 has the longest growing season in the continental U.S. with an annual minimum temperature of 30-40ºF. While its hot summers and mild winters rule out some of the more cold-loving vegetation, there’s still a whole world of tropical fruits and flowers to fill in any gaps you might find in a traditional veggie garden.
Since battling drought is an unfortunate reality in Zone 10, keeping plants hydrated throughout the hot spring and summer months is paramount. We have a variety of Lawn and Garden Sprinklers to make sure the ground stays moist. We also recommend supplementing soil with our Soil Moist® Mycorrhiza Transplant Formula to help gardens reach their full potential even as temperatures start climbing. Providing shade is another essential element of successful Zone 10 gardening; we suggest setting up a Ready Made Shade Tarp over heat-vulnerable favorites to ensure they make it through the long, hot afternoons unscathed.
States in Zone 10: California, Arizona, Texas, Florida
Early spring is an ideal time to get longer-growth veggie seeds into the ground, start a succulent garden, or even plant a small orchard of fruit trees. With so much sunlight at your disposal, the sky’s the limit when populating your yard with both edible and decorative plants.
Despite the heat of the summer months, many veggies and flowers love the extra sunlight and early in the season is a good time to get herbs going as well.
Take advantage of the relatively cooler weather by planting leafy greens and cruciferous veggies in September. Many of your spring favorites can be re-rotated into your garden as the season starts, too. It’s also a good time to get perennial flower bulbs and seeds into the ground for next spring.
Unlike much of the country, winter’s in Zone 10 are actually a wonderfully fertile time to rotate in new veggies and get citrus trees planted, just make sure your soil has good drainage and you should be good to go.