2026 Planting Guide
🌱 2026 Planting Guide
USDA Zones 8a · 8b · 9a (Southern Arizona – High Desert / Sonoran Transition)
❄️ WINTER (January – February)
Primary Focus: Cool-season crops, frost-tolerant planting, seed starting
Direct Sow
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Turnips
Spinach
Kale
Arugula
Lettuce (loose-leaf & romaine)
Peas (snap & snow)
Fava beans
Transplants
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Onions (starts)
Perennials / Trees
Bare-root fruit trees
Berries (blackberry, raspberry)
Asparagus crowns
Rhubarb
Notes
Use frost cloth as needed (Zones 8a & 8b)
Ideal time for soil prep and composting
🌼 SPRING (March – April)
Primary Focus: Warm-season transition, fast growth before heat
Direct Sow
Corn
Beans (bush & pole)
Squash
Cucumbers
Melons
Sunflowers
Transplants
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
Basil
Chard
Herbs
Dill
Cilantro (early only)
Parsley
Notes
Plant early March in Zone 9a, late March–April in 8a/8b
Mulch heavily before May heat
☀️ SUMMER / MONSOON (May – August)
Primary Focus: Heat-tolerant & monsoon-loving crops
Direct Sow
Cowpeas
Amaranth
Okra
Tepary beans
Malabar spinach
Transplants
Sweet potatoes
Peppers (heat-set varieties)
Cherry tomatoes (monsoon planting)
Native / Adaptive Crops
Cholla buds
Purslane
Squash (monsoon varieties)
Notes
Expect spring crops to pause in extreme heat
Resume planting with July monsoon moisture
Shade cloth strongly recommended
🍂 FALL (September – October)
Primary Focus: Second cool-season harvest window
Direct Sow
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Turnips
Spinach
Lettuce
Arugula
Transplants
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Kale
Cover Crops
Austrian winter peas
Clover
Barley
Notes
This is the most reliable food-production season
Plant earlier in Zone 9a, later in 8a
🌿 PERENNIAL & COMMUNITY-SCALE FAVORITES (All Zones)
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Lavender
Artichoke (best in 8b/9a)
Fig
Pomegranate
Mesquite (shade & food)