Best plants for the fall and when Northern California could see its first freeze of the season
IN DENVER TOMORROW NIGHT. WELL, WE ARE INCHING CLOSER TO THE COLDEST TIME OF THE YEAR. YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO PUT MUCH THOUGHT INTO YOUR GARDEN. METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG SHOWS US WHAT TO PLANT RIGHT NOW AND WHEN TO PLAN FOR OUR FIRST FREEZE. IT’S WHEN THE TOMATOES STARTED GOING LIKE THAT. I LOOKED AT HIM AND THOUGHT, YOU DON’T BRING ME JOY ANYMORE. SO OUT THEY CAME AND INSTEAD I PLANTED ALL FALL FLOWERS. PAM COPELAND CAME TO GREEN ACRES ON A MISSION. FLOWERS, AND SHE HAS QUITE THE VARIETY TO CHOOSE FROM. IT’S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME EDITS TO YOUR LANDSCAPE, YOU WANT TO PLANT SOME NEW THINGS, OR YOU WANT TO START A NEW GARDENING PROJECT. AUSTIN BLAKE HOST THE GREEN ACRES GARDEN PODCAST. HE SAYS WE SHOULD THINK BEYOND PUMPKINS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR. THINK ABOUT PLANTING LEAFY GREENS AND HERBS. LEAFY GREENS ARE THE BEST THING TO GROW IN THE FALL BECAUSE THEY’RE EASY. YOU CAN ACTUALLY DIRECT SOW THEM INTO THE GROUND AND THEN THEY’LL COME UP ON THEIR OWN, AND THEN YOU CAN CUT AND COME AGAIN, AND THEY’LL KEEP COMING BACK. THE SOILS ALSO TEND TO BE WARM, SO IT PROMOTES REALLY HEALTHY ROOT DEVELOPMENT. IN THE FALL, WE START EXPERIENCING COOLER TEMPS IN THIS AREA. SO IT’S ACTUALLY LESS STRESSFUL ON YOUR PLANTS. CARROTS ARE ALSO A GREAT PLANTING CHOICE. CARROTS TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WATER A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. NOT TOO LONG. YOU GOT TO BE PATIENT WITH CARROTS THOUGH. THAT’S A TAPROOT, SO IT HAS TO BE DIRECT SEEDED. THAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR IT. AND THEN THAT HAS TO SLOW THAT. THAT ROOT GROWS OVER TIME. SO THAT’S THAT’S ABOUT A TWO MONTH WAIT. THE OPTIONS ARE SIMPLE. YOU CAN GRAB THE SEEDS OR GET RIGHT TO THE POTTED PLANT AND PUT IT IN THE GROUND. AUSTIN ALSO SAYS TREES ARE PRIME TO PLANT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND PAM’S ADVICE TO ANYONE WORKING ON THEIR FALL GARDEN. ANYBODY CAN HAVE A GREEN THUMB AND ALWAYS BUY YOUR PLANTS AT A NURSERY. IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NURSERIES. WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT ONES TO CHOOSE FROM. CHOOSE FROM HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. NOW THIS IS ONE QUESTION I GET ASKED A LOT VIA EMAIL AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. TAMARA, WHEN IS THE FIRST FREEZE? WELL, YOU CAN SEE IN THE CONTOURING HERE ON THE MAP THESE AREAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE GREEN. SO THAT INCLUDES THE HIGHER ELEVATION FOOTHILLS AND THE SIERRA. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU’VE ALREADY HIT YOUR FIRST FREEZE. NOW PARTS OF THE LOWER FOOTHILLS AND DOWN INTO THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY. YOU DO HAVE SOME TIME TO GET THINGS IN THE GARDEN. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WEEKEND BECAUSE TYPICALLY BY THE END OF NOVEMBER WE START TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS AND THOSE TEMPERATURES DIP DOWN INTO THE 30S IN THE VALLEY. ALSO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. I TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE FOOTHILL LOWS I’VE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON, AND UNFORTUNATELY IN INTO AUBURN, WE’VE ALREADY HIT BELOW FREEZING, BUT AREAS LIKE SONORA WE’VE ONLY HAD A DAYTIME LOW OF 35. THAT’S THE LOWEST I’VE FOUND SO FAR THIS
Best plants for the fall and when Northern California could see its first freeze of the season
Updated: 12:22 PM PST Nov 21, 2025
As Northern California nears the coldest time of the year, these are some of the best things to plant in the fall, and when to plan for the first freeze of the season.A dry weekend in the forecast is a great time to get out and work in the garden. Fall is a great time to think about re-designing your landscape. “Leafy greens are the best thing to grow in the fall,” said Austin Blank with Green Acres Nursery. “They’re easy, and you can direct sow them into the ground. You can cut and they’ll keep growing back.” The average first freeze in the Sacramento Valley is in late November. The lower Foothills also typically see the first freeze in mid-to-late November. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
As Northern California nears the coldest time of the year, these are some of the best things to plant in the fall, and when to plan for the first freeze of the season.
A dry weekend in the forecast is a great time to get out and work in the garden. Fall is a great time to think about re-designing your landscape.
“Leafy greens are the best thing to grow in the fall,” said Austin Blank with Green Acres Nursery. “They’re easy, and you can direct sow them into the ground. You can cut and they’ll keep growing back.”
The average first freeze in the Sacramento Valley is in late November. The lower Foothills also typically see the first freeze in mid-to-late November.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel