Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Learn how to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the Bay Area with our plant-specific guides. Get expert timing, zone tips, and hyperlocal advice for everything from tomatoes to lettuce.

Morning watering & airflow: Hand-drawn gardener watering leafy greens under a soft sunrise with airflow arrows beneath a low row cover

Masterclass: November Planting — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

November flips the Bay Area into true cool-season mode: short days, the first meaningful rains, and soils that swing between soaked and...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Oct 163 min read

Hand‑drawn side view of garlic clove set 1–2 inches deep and 4–6 inches apart, tip up, in a mulched Bay Area bed

Growing Guide: November — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Why November matters First rains, shorter days, and cooler nights flip beds to winter mode. November is still productive if you lean into...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Oct 141 min read

Hand-drawn raised bed labeled CARROTS with shallow furrows, ruler for spacing, and a seed packet on the corner—Bay Area September prep for direct-sown carrot rows

Growing Guide: Carrots — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Carrots want cool soil, consistent surface moisture, and loose, stone-free beds. In USDA 9–10 you’ll get best roots from fall and...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 131 min read

Hand-drawn top-down pea row with seeds 1–1½ in deep and 2 in apart beside a simple net trellis installed at sowing

Masterclass: Peas — Bay Area (Sunset 14-17 + USDA 9-10)

Peas shine in cool, bright conditions with steady moisture. The Bay’s patchwork means Sunset zones matter: coastal 16–17 can sow for...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 122 min read

Hand-drawn broccoli tactics panel: coast icon with airflow arrows, inland sun with light shade cloth, and a labeled drip line for even moisture

Masterclass: Broccoli — Bay Area (Sunset 14-17; USDA 9-10)

Broccoli rewards Bay Area growers when timing matches microclimate. We pair USDA 9–10 (hardiness) with Sunset 14–17 for local precision —...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 102 min read

Hand-drawn top-down raised bed showing broccoli at 18-in plant spacing with ~24-in rows, a labeled drip line, and a 2–3-in mulch layer

Growing Guide: Broccoli — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Broccoli is a cool-season crop that loves the Bay’s mild winters. Success = plant at the right time, keep growth steady, and harvest firm...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 91 min read

Pest Management — Bay Area

Pest Management — Bay Area (Sunset 14–17; USDA 9–10) Integrated Pest Management in one page (how we work) Prevent first: healthy soil,...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 24 min read

Hand‑drawn panel: coast icon with airflow arrows for mildew control, inland sun icon with shade cloth over chard, and drip line for even moisture

Masterclass: Swiss Chard — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

Swiss Chard — Bay Area (Sunset 14–17; USDA 9–10) Swiss chard thrives across the Bay Area, but the how depends on microclimate. We combine...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Sep 12 min read

Hand‑drawn pea row showing seeds 1–1½ inches deep and 2 inches apart, with a simple net trellis installed at sowing so vines climb early

Growing Guide: Peas — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Peas prefer cool weather and steady moisture. In most Bay Area microclimates, fall sowings produce winter–spring harvests; early spring...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 311 min read

Hand‑drawn top‑down spacing diagram for Swiss chard showing 12–18 inch plant gaps and row guides, with a thinning arrow from seedling cluster to single plant

Growing Guide: Swiss Chard — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Swiss chard is a cool‑season, cut‑and‑come‑again staple that tolerates light heat and mild frost. Aim for quick, steady growth: fertile...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 301 min read

Hand‑drawn kale spacing diagram with 12–18 inch plant gaps in a mulched Bay Area bed, simple guide lines and labels

Masterclass: Kale — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

Kale is a cool‑season workhorse in the Bay Area. To get tender leaves and steady harvests, match sowing and transplant timing to your...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 292 min read

Growing Guide: Kale — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Growing Guide: Kale — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10) Overview Kale thrives in cool weather and sweetens after a chill. In much of the Bay...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 291 min read

Hand‑drawn spinach bed diagram with 4–6 inch spacing, airflow arrows to reduce mildew, and a morning watering icon; neat lines

Masterclass: Spinach — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

Spinach is one of the most reliable cool‑season crops in the Bay Area — but dialing timing to your microclimate makes all the difference....

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 282 min read

Hand‑drawn spinach seedling in a foggy Bay Area raised bed, USDA 9–10 label, soft green shading and simple lines.

Growing Guide: Spinach — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Growing Guide: Spinach — Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10) Overview Spinach is a cool‑season staple for Bay Area beds and containers. Aim for...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 271 min read

Hand-drawn Bay Area raised bed cleared of summer plants, topped with fresh compost and mulch, with labeled rows for lettuce and spinach ready for September sowing.

Masterclass: September Planting — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

September Planting Masterclass (Bay Area) September is the Bay Area hand-off from warm-season to cool-season crops. The trick is matching...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 262 min read

Hand-drawn Bay Area map marked Sunset 17/16/14–15 with tomato icons shifting from cherry near coast to slicers inland, illustrating microclimate choices.

Masterclass: Tomato — Bay Area (Sunset + USDA)

Masterclass: Tomato — Bay Area (Sunset 14–17; USDA 9–10) Tomatoes thrive in the Bay Area when you match variety + timing to your...

Bay Area Monthly Planting Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 253 min read

Bay Area masterclass for beets, radishes & turnips: best varieties by microclimate, sowing windows, in-ground vs containers, spacing guide, pest fixes, and companion tips.

Masterclass: Beets, Radishes & Turnips in the Bay Area (Sunset 14–17; [USDA 9–10])

Root crops love the Bay Area’s cool nights and mild days—especially as we roll from late summer into fall. This masterclass bundles three...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 244 min read

wooden raised bed with young lettuce and greens in soft golden light, a small calendar pinned to the fence in back.

Growing Guide: September in the Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10)

Growing Guide: September in the Bay Area (USDA Zones 9–10) September is the Bay Area hand-off from summer to cool-season veggies. Clear...

Bay Area Monthly Planting Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 232 min read

Growing Guide: Companion Planting in the Bay Area (USDA 9–10)

What companion planting really is It’s not plant “friendships.” It’s smart mixing of vegetables, herbs, and flowers so you: Attract and...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 223 min read

Fast, no-fuss roots for Bay Area gardens: when and how to sow beets, radishes, and turnips in USDA 9–10, plus spacing, watering, and quick pest fixes—works for in-ground, raised beds, and containers.

Growing Guide: Beets, Radishes & Turnips (USDA Zones 9–10, Bay Area)

Cool nights + mild days = root-crop heaven. In the Bay Area, you can direct-sow beets, radishes, and turnips from late summer into fall...

Bay Area Plant Growing Guides

Garden Nerd

Aug 212 min read