FALL GROWING GUIDE · REGION V
When to plant
broccoli
in Rio Grande Valley.
Broccoli has both an average start and a last optimum date in the regional guide. Keep those two landmarks visible when scheduling your fall bed.
AVERAGE FALL PLANTING DATE
November 1
Seed or transplant · Frost tolerant
LAST OPTIMUM DATE
November 20
Separate guidance from source Table 2.
A recurring regional reference from the 2014 Extension guide. This is not a forecast or a guaranteed growing window.
What this means for your garden.
The far southern tip of Texas, including McAllen on the source map, is Region V. This is the latest fall schedule in the five-region guide, with some sowings extending to mid-December.
For broccoli, the regional reference is November 1, with November 20 listed separately as the last optimum date. Dates that look late compared with northern gardens are intentional in this regional table. Check the source region before importing advice from a different climate.
Your next three steps
- Choose the right start.
A transplant and a newly sown seed are not at the same growth stage. Match your calendar entry to the action you actually take.
- Give the plant a good first week.
Check new transplants for moisture and leave space according to the variety label. Record whether you sowed seed or set out a plant so later observations have context.
- Keep a record you can use next season.
Save your planned date, then change it to the day you actually plant. Record completion in My Garden; the reference calendar stays separate from your own history.
WHY LOCATION MATTERS
One crop. Five different calendars.
How the same crop’s average date compares with Rio Grande Valley.
Texas PanhandleJuly 15109 days earlierWest TexasAugust 192 days earlierCentral & East TexasSeptember 161 days earlierCoastal South TexasOctober 131 days earlierSource, scope & a little context.
Table 1 supplies average fall planting dates. Table 2 supplies last optimum dates only for the crops it lists. Figure 1 defines the five historical gardening regions; these are not current USDA hardiness zones.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension · Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide (EHT-056) ↗Dates: Table 1, p. 2; last optimum date: Table 2, p. 3. Region: Figure 1, p. 3. Source checked 2026-09-27. Editorial care notes are general planning advice; your county Extension office can refine them.
Read our methodology →