Looking to grow a garden in Fresno County? Here’s what to plant — and to avoid
Itching to garden now that spring is in full swing?
It’s the perfect time to plant in Fresno County, according to Scott Miller, owner of Fresno plant nursery Gazebo Gardens and CEO of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
“Right now is a pretty good time to plant just about everything in our area,” Miller told The Fresno Bee in an email. “It’s the sweet spot for establishing plants … still cool enough for most plants to grow quickly, but past any realistic danger of frost.”
With its nutrient-rich soil and long, sunny days, California’s Central Valley is “one of the greatest places on earth to grow a garden,” Miller added.
Here’s what to know about spring and summer gardening in Fresno:
What makes Fresno ideal for gardening and growing food?
“Fresno County is home to 1.88 million acres of the world’s most productive farmland,” the Fresno County Farm Bureau said on its website.
More than 350 crops come from the Fresno area, the farm bureau said, noting that many of them aren’t grown commercially anywhere else in the United States.
Fresno County supplies much of the nation’s almonds, grapes, and pistachios.
The area’s semi-arid Mediterranean climate, with its warm, dry summers and cool, mild winters, make it ideal for year–round agriculture.
What plant hardiness zone is Fresno County in?
Most of Fresno County is in Zone 9, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness zone map.
That “gives us distinct advantages for year-round gardening,” the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in Davis said.
According to UC Davis, the Fresno area enjoys 246 frost-free days a year, featuring temperatures of 32 degrees or higher, and 300 days with temperatures at 28 degrees or higher, giving gardeners more opportunities to extend the growing season.
“There is no region in the world with the agricultural output per square mile that we have in the Central Valley,” Miller said. “Our area produces nearly 50% of the country’s fruits, vegetables and nuts .... We have some of the best soil in the world.
“So, long story short, we have lots of options.”
How does Fresno County compare to rest of US?
Seasoned gardeners may already know to consult the USDA plant hardiness map to determine where and whether a plant may survive the winter.
If you’re hoping to get some new plants in the ground this spring that will thrive in summer, you might want to take the overall climate into account, too, according to Sunset magazine.
“A plant’s performance is governed by the total climate: length of growing season, timing and amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer highs, humidity,” Sunset said in its guide to gardening in the West.
Although the plant hardiness map will tell you where a plant may survive the winter, Sunset said its “climate zone maps let you see where that plant will thrive year-round.”
Fresno County tends to be warmer and drier than many other areas of the country, even in winter, according to the USDA’s 2023 plant hardiness zone map for Southern California.
According to the 2023 map, Fresno is part of Zone 9b, meaning that it has an average minimum winter temperature of 25 to 30 degrees.
Other areas that fall into the warmer half of the zone include central Florida, coastal California and the Desert Southwest, the publication said.
Which fruits, veggies and herbs should I plant in Fresno?
Gardeners in Zone 9 should focus on “drought-tolerant and sun-loving plants,” according to a MasterClass article on Zone 9 gardening.
Those include chives, hibiscus, kiwi, okra, and pumpkins, MasterClass said, noting that some of these crops require lots of water.
Miller recommends planting pomegranates, figs, olives and grapes — all traditional Fresno County commercial crops that require little extra water once they’re established.
Many herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme, “are particularly drought tolerant but will need some watering during the hottest months,” Miller said.
Some of the “most popular items this time of year would be all varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, Armenian cucumbers and most herbs,” Miller said.
Which flowers grow best in Fresno?
Miller said he enjoys “a mixture of food crops and flowers” in his home garden.
“I’ll plant things like tomatoes, peppers, zinnias, roses and culinary herbs all in the same bed,” he said. “Other people like a more organized, formal look.”
“As long as you mix plants with similar cultural needs” such as water, fertilizer and sun exposure, “there’s no wrong way to (do) it, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
The most popular annual flowers this time of year are begonias, zinnias and vincas, he said.
What should I avoid planting in my Fresno garden?
Your best bet is to avoid plants and trees “at both ends of the weather spectrum,” Miller said. “We do still get frost, so no-frost tender (or) tropical crops like pineapples or mangoes.”
It’s also a good idea to “avoid fruit trees that need more chill hours than we get,” he said, including most apple and pear varieties.
“Every yard is a bit different … (so) I’d advise people to try new things every season and have a little fun with it,” Miller said. “There’s no feeling quite like making a meal with food harvested from your own back yard.”
