USDA zone guidance + local presets
Know Your Growing Zone
Your USDA zone helps answer what can survive winter, how long the season runs, and when major planting windows usually open. Shaggy Ink Farms is based in Northern California, but these tools are built to help gardeners across USDA Zones 3 through 10.
Zone lookup
Find your USDA zone
Shaggy Ink Farms is based in Northern California, but this tool is set up for gardeners across USDA Zones 3 through 10. You can use a local preset below or find your USDA zone on the official map and select it manually.
Find your USDA zoneOpen the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map in a new tab, find your zone, then come back here and select it manually.
Northern California presets
Use these if you garden near Anderson, Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, or Sacramento and want local frost and heat context.
Manual USDA zone selection
Gardeners anywhere in the U.S. can use the planner by choosing a general USDA zone. This is the right path if your city is not listed above.
Anderson, CA local preset
USDA Zone 9
Hot summers, very mild winters. Long seasons and near year-round growing.
Frost and timing notes
Last frost: Feb 1. First frost: Dec 15.
Very long season with mild winters and hot summers.
Best-fit crops
Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Okra, Cucumbers, Melons, Watermelon, Sweet potatoes
Local preset details
Anderson sits in the upper Sacramento Valley with long, hot summers and mild winters. Zone 9b means roughly 290 frost-free days and exceptional growing conditions for warm-season crops.
Start in trays
Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Broccoli (fall), Cabbage (fall)
Direct sow
Beans, Cucumbers, Squash, Corn, Okra, Sunflowers
Watch for
Extreme summer heat stalling fruit set, Long dry season demanding irrigation, Keeping fall starts alive through late-summer heat, Sunscald and spider mites
Seasonal snapshot
This month, Zone 9 gardeners commonly plant Beans (succession), Okra, Cowpeas, Cucumbers, Watermelon in warm weather, while also planning ahead with Prep garlic beds, Transplant fall brassicas.
What your zone actually tells you
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. That makes it most useful for perennials, orchard trees, berries, vines, and anything that has to survive winter in the ground.
For annual vegetables, your zone is still useful because it hints at frost timing and season length. It is not the whole story. Summer heat, humidity, rainfall, wind, soil, and microclimate still shape what works best in your garden.
That is why this page now offers both general USDA zone guidance for gardeners anywhere in the U.S. and Northern California presets for gardeners who want local heat and frost notes.
Northern California frost date presets
These are optional local presets, not the only way to use the tool. If you garden somewhere else, use the USDA map and manual zone selection above.
| City | Zone | Last Frost | First Frost | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson, CA | 9b | Feb 1 | Dec 15 | ~287 days |
| Redding, CA | 9b | Feb 7 | Dec 10 | ~306 days |
| Red Bluff, CA | 9b | Jan 28 | Dec 20 | ~326 days |
| Chico, CA | 9b | Feb 15 | Dec 5 | ~293 days |
| Sacramento, CA | 9b | Feb 22 | Nov 28 | ~279 days |
These frost windows are local preset references only. Microclimates can shift dates by one to three weeks.
Local preset guidance
Northern California growing guide
Choose the closest local preset for heat, frost, irrigation, and crop-fit notes specific to the northern Sacramento Valley.
Anderson, CA growing guide
USDA Zone 9b
Hot Sacramento Valley summers are the main challenge. Prioritize irrigation, mulch, and shade cloth for sensitive crops. Fall prep starts earlier than beginners expect.
Approximate last frost: early February. Approximate first frost: mid-December. Local low spots can frost earlier.
What to plant this week
- Okra
- melons
- cucumbers
- beans
- summer squash
- basil
- sunflowers
Seeds to stock
- Fall broccoli
- cabbage
- kale
- chard
- lettuce
- cilantro
- carrots
- beets
Transplants that make sense
- Heat-tolerant basil
- late peppers only if well watered
- flowers in protected afternoon shade
Prepare for next month
- Start fall brassicas in protected shade
- clear finished spring crops
- check drip lines
- order fall seed
Watering and heat warnings
- Irrigation is the first priority in summer.
- Use shade cloth for tender greens, young starts, and stressed transplants.
- Avoid setting out cool-season transplants during extreme heat.
Crops that grow well locally
- Okra
- melons
- cucumbers
- beans
- squash
- basil
- sunflowers
- eggplant
- peppers with steady water
Weekly local tasks
Week-by-week garden tasks
These weekly checklists remain local preset guidance. If you are in Florida, Michigan, Maine, Tennessee, or anywhere else, use the manual USDA zone guidance above as your first planning step.
Weekly tasks for local presets
These week-by-week task lists are currently tailored to our Northern California preset locations. Gardeners elsewhere can still use the manual USDA zone guidance above for broader planting windows.
Week 25 - Jun 18 – Jun 24
Plant second succession corn
For a late August to September corn harvest, plant a second succession block now. Staggered corn plantings extend the fresh corn season.
Sow second succession of sweet corn in a separate block — keep new block at least 25 feet from first planting to prevent cross-pollination before first is done
Begin harvesting first corn planting when silk turns brown and kernels are milky — do not wait for full dry husk color
Top-dress tomatoes with compost or apply second liquid fertilizer feeding
Scout for powdery mildew on squash — hot days and cool nights create ideal conditions in late June
Stock up on canning supplies — tomato processing season is 4–6 weeks away for most varieties
From the farm
We track our corn plantings in a garden journal with exact planting dates. Corn at 50% silk requires watching daily — the harvest window is only 1–3 days from peak to past-peak.
Use the right level of precision
Use general USDA zone guidance when you need a fast answer about season length, plant hardiness, and broad planting windows.
Use a local preset when you want practical notes about summer heat, valley frost timing, irrigation, and crop timing in Northern California.
If you are not in Northern California, the fallback guidance is still useful. Just remember that local frost dates, rainfall, humidity, and summer heat can shift your real schedule.
Related resources
Family Food Security Garden Planner
Use your zone to build a crop plan with space and yield estimates.
Garden Planning Tools
Explore planning tools, calculators, and upcoming tools in one place.
Growing Guides
Read in-depth guidance on crops, timing, and practical growing decisions.
Anderson Local Guide
Go deeper on local crop timing and garden strategy near Anderson, California.
What To Do Next
Use your zone, then plan the season.
Start with your USDA zone, add local context where you have it, and use the planner when you are ready to turn that into a real crop plan.
Tool
Open the Garden Planner
Build a full food-garden plan once you know your zone and seasonal timing.
Open the Garden PlannerEmail Capture
Get Weekly Growing Tips
Join for practical planting reminders and seasonal growing notes.
Farm Link
Local Guides
Want more than zone advice? Step into the Anderson-area local guides next.
Visit Local Guides