Plant, Pick, Repeat: A Beginner’s Guide to Year-Round Vegetables in Zones 8–10

Fresh greens in February. Zucchini in June. Tomatoes long past the equinox.

If you’re gardening in USDA Zones 8–10, you’ve got a secret weapon, a long growing season. With a little planning and observation, you can grow vegetables nearly every month of the year. No heated greenhouse. No expensive tech. Just soil, seeds, and smart choices.

We love this cheerful golden zucchini variety—fast to fruit and stunning in the garden or on the grill.

Here at Tough Kraut, we’ve lived the learning curve—fighting ants, drought, and collapsed greenhouses. We’ve failed a lot. And we’ve figured out what works.

Ready to skip the overwhelm and grow confidently? Start with this step-by-step calendar, learn from our mistakes, and check out our Recommended Books & Resources at the end.

Why Zones 8–10 Are a Gardener’s Dream

In USDA Zones 8–10, winters are mild, frosts are rare, and the sun sticks around. That means you can grow both cool-season and warm-season crops, sometimes even side by side.

But longer seasons come with their own challenges:

• Hot, dry summers

• Early bolting

• Ants, aphids, and heat-loving pests

• Water stress and germination gaps

Raised bed in progress, second spring – Built from salvaged wood, this bed marked the start of growing our own abundance.

You’ll need smart timing, observation, and a few low-tech tricks. That’s where this guide, and our own real-world trial and error, comes in.

Annual Planting Calendar for Year-Round Vegetables in Zones 8–10

Month	Sow Indoors	Direct Sow (seed in the ground)	Transplant/Move Outdoors	Succession Sowing?
January	Tomatoes, peppers (early crop)	Onions, peas, spinach	Lettuce, kale (if protected)	Hardy crops, every 2 weeks
February	Same as January	Carrots, radishes, beets, greens	Potatoes, onions	Greens, roots
March	Melons, squash	Beans, carrots, turnips, beets	Tomatoes, brassicas, lettuce	Sow new beans every 2-3 weeks
April	—	Corn, squash, beans, cucumbers	Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant	Summer crops
May	—	Okra, sweet potato slips, southern peas	Squash, tomatoes	Mulch, continue sowing
June	—	Okra, yardlong beans, Malabar spinach	Eggplant (Solanum melongena)	Re-sow every few weeks
July	—	Southern peas, more Malabar spinach	Okra, last squash	Start prepping for cool season
August	Broccoli, cabbage	Beans, beets, carrots, radish	Early fall crops outdoors	Start fall greens
September	—	Spinach, lettuce, radish, peas	Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), cabbage	Sow greens every 2 weeks
October	—	Root/leafy veggies, peas	Brassicas	Protect from frost
November	—	Garlic, onions, fava beans	Hardy greens	Mulch, sow hardy crops
December	—	Onions, shallots, cover crops	Lettuce (protected)	Use row covers

Tough Tip: Don’t treat this calendar as law. It’s a flexible framework. Observe your space and adjust by a few weeks based on your specific microclimate.

What We’ve Learned Growing Year-Round Annuals

Our first year on the homestead, we went in raw:

• No seed trays

• No greenhouse

• Just direct sowing into straw-mulched beds. We even tried the classic Three Sisters method—corn, beans, and squash—though results were unsatisfactory in that first rough year

MuDan prepping veggie terrace bed – We laid straw and compost here to welcome seeds into our very first garden rows.

Result? A few brave sprouts, and a lot of ant buffets. Most seeds likely never made it to germination, or dried out in the heat.

Second year, we added a tiny greenhouse. It barely lasted a season, but it was a game-changer: early starts, better overwintering, and actual cucumbers (Cucumis sativus). We also built raised beds on our "veggie terrace"—as MuDan and I call it—which made a noticeable difference in yields and planting success.

By year three, we had a permanent greenhouse. Eggplants (Solanum melongena), chili peppers (Capsicum annuum), and even leafy Mustard greens thrived. We finally got irrigation in.

Now, in year four, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) have taken over, self-seeding by the hundreds. We gift them to neighbors, tuck them into field edges, and marvel at how far we’ve come.

Tough Tip: Start where you are. Work with what you’ve got. You don’t need perfect gear, just persistence and a willingness to adapt.

Our greenhouse beds bring steady harvests year-round, even in the chillier months.

Microclimates: Your Best Garden Hack

Even on a small plot, some areas are warmer, cooler, wetter, or windier than others. Learning where these zones are can double your success.

Zone Type	Best for
Hot & Sunny	Tomatoes, melons (Cucumis melo), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), chilies (Capsicum annuum)
Partial Shade	Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), greens in summer
Frost Pockets	Avoid winter crops or protect

Tough Tip: Watch your site like a hawk for a full year. Where does frost linger? Where does the soil dry out first? Design your planting plan around those insights.

Succession Planting: Keep the Harvest Coming

Instead of sowing a full bed of radishes (Raphanus sativus), plant a small patch every 2–3 weeks. This gives you staggered harvests and less waste.

Tough Tip: Use sticks and string to mark sections. Otherwise, it’s too easy to forget where and when you planted.

Watering & Mulching the Right Way

Deep, occasional watering encourages roots to grow down, not hover near the surface. Mulch helps hold moisture and regulate soil temperature.

We rely on mulch and gravity-fed irrigation lines now. In the early days, we hand-watered everything. Spoiler: that doesn’t scale.

These beauties are almost ready for sauce season.

Bolting: Don’t Let Your Lettuce Escape

Lettuce, spinach, and pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) all “bolt” in the heat, sending up a flower stalk and turning bitter.

Tough Tip: Plant greens in the coolest, shadiest microclimate once temps rise. Try summer alternatives like Malabar spinach (Basella alba) or amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) for leafy greens that love heat.

Trellising & Support

Climbing plants like tomatoes, beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) need vertical help. We’ve used everything from scrap fencing to mimosa branches.

Tough Tip: Build sturdy trellises before planting, or you’ll be wrestling vines mid-season.

Harvest Habits That Pay Off

Harvesting regularly keeps plants productive.

• Greens: Cut outer leaves and let center regrow

• Beans & squash: Pick every 1–2 days

• Tomatoes: Check daily and prune for airflow

• Courgettes (Zucchini) (Cucurbita pepo): Harvest when young for best texture—but don't be surprised if one escapes you and reaches monster size.

Homegrown courgette weighs in heavy – From seed to scale, this beauty came from one raised bed and lots of love. (2.95 kg / 6.5 lbs)

Tough Tip: If a plant starts to bolt or flower early, harvest immediately and compost the rest. Alternatively, let it go to seed and collect seeds for the following year.

Companion Planting for Better Results

Simple combos work wonders—no need to overcomplicate:

• Tomato + Basil: Flavor boost + pest confusion

• Beans + Corn (Zea mays): Beans fix nitrogen, corn provides support

• Three Sisters: Corn, squash, beans. A proven trio

• Lettuce + Carrot (Daucus carota) + Radish: Space-saving and efficient

We tried a Three Sisters guild. This low-input bed gave us corn stalks, ground cover, and lessons in balance.

Tough Tip: Think of your garden as a team, not a row of solo players.

Helpful Habits for Beginners

• Label every row

• Record dates, weather, and results in a notebook

• Replant failed crops. Don’t wait a season

• Join local gardening groups or online forums

• Celebrate wins, learn from losses

We’ve had full bed failures and surprise gluts. That’s gardening. Keep going.

From Overwhelm to Overabundance

Whether you’ve got a sunny backyard or a few containers on a patio, growing annual vegetables year-round is absolutely possible in Zones 8–10. You don’t need to get everything right. You just need to start.

Want more help turning dirt into dinner? Join the Kraut Crew to get hands-on tips, free resources, and support from fellow growers who know the struggle, and the joy. Together, we’ll build abundance one season at a time.

Herman’s Tough Kraut Fixes: Common Year-Round Vegetables Growing Challenges

Year-round vegetable gardening sounds amazing. Until reality kicks in. From seeding failures to bolting greens, there's plenty that can go wrong if you're not prepared. This troubleshooting FAQ section covers the most common beginner issues, and the tested fixes we've learned from experience. (yes, we’ve made them all), along with tested fixes to keep your crops thriving.

Q: My seeds aren’t sprouting. What’s going wrong?

A: It could be ants, dry soil, or inconsistent watering. In our first year, ants stole half our seeds. Pre-moisten your beds, sow thickly, and water gently but consistently until sprouts appear.

Q: Why are my tomato leaves turning yellow?

A: Most likely overwatering or poor drainage. Tomatoes prefer deep watering with time to dry out between sessions. Improve soil drainage and reduce frequency.

Q: Nothing is fruiting. What’s happening?

A: Extreme temperatures can delay fruit set, especially in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Use shade cloth in peak summer or wait out cold snaps—fruiting usually resumes when temps stabilize.

Q: How can I keep the harvest going all year?

A: Master succession planting. Instead of one big sowing, plant small amounts every few weeks. Use your planting calendar to rotate crops and fill gaps with quick growers like radishes, lettuce, and southern peas (Vigna unguiculata).

Recommended Books & Resources

Books

• The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour

  A practical guide to growing fresh vegetables in all seasons, with clear tips on succession planting, crop protection, and extended harvests.

• The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith

  This classic all-in-one gardening book teaches beginners how to plan, plant, and care for high-yield organic beds using the W-O-R-D method.

• Backyard Harvest: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Fruits and Vegetables by Jo Whittingham

  Organized month-by-month, this visually engaging book tells you exactly what to sow, grow, and harvest each month of the year. Great for warm-climate gardeners who want an easy-to-follow seasonal flow.

Resources

• Heirloom Vegetable Seed Collection (Non-GMO, 25 Variety Mix)

  A diverse mix of Non-GMO heirloom seeds ideal for warm climates, including cool- and warm-season crops for spring, summer, and fall. Designed for beginner gardeners looking to grow year-round harvests.

• Seed-Starting Tray Kit with Heat Mat & Grow Lights

  A complete indoor seed-starting setup that improves germination success and helps gardeners get a jump on the growing season. Great for starting tomatoes, peppers, greens, and more—whether for spring or fall crops.

• apine Soil Moisture Meter (Analog, No Batteries Required)

  This no-fuss probe lets you instantly check soil moisture at root level to avoid over- or under-watering. A budget-friendly tool to build better watering habits and keep your veggies thriving.

• Old Farmer’s Almanac Online Planting Calendar

  Enter your location to get a customized planting schedule with sowing and transplanting dates for each crop. A great free resource for planning year-round plantings in Zones 8–10.

• Tough Kraut Resources — From pruning shears to water systems, it’s everything we rely on to keep our garden growing, pantry stocked, and homestead running.