How Changing Weather Is Affecting Southern California Vegetable Gardens

I have lived in southern California my entire life and I have always been a student of weather. One thing is for sure, it seems the weather here is changing. Honestly, it is as if we have been warmer and drier in winters in southern California than in Arizona and as hot but more humid in the summers.

I have struggled with my garden the last few growing seasons. Three years in a row we have had an unusually hot and humid summer. Is this the new normal for us gardeners here in Southern California? That I am not, sure but I have decided to follow the Arizona planting schedule this year to see if not only can I combat the heat that seems to stifle my vegetable garden, but to also try and have two growing seasons here for summer produce.

First, I started most of my seeds in January. I normally plant tomatoes in March but this year they were in by the end of January/early February. It is now March 16th and I already have one inch sized tomatoes on the vines. The earliest I have ever had for sure.

We used to have occasional light frosts but we have not had one in my area for at least three years.
Evenings are warmer and blossoms are setting, so the plants all seem to be thriving. I am hoping to harvest earlier:
summer squash ( four varieties)
cucumbers
tomatoes

Then I intend to start seeds in late spring/early summer for a second growing season. I will plant a second cycle of the above plants that I had only planted once in years past. We have had intensely hot late summers for three years and that is really caused the garden to suffer. By planting and harvesting early, I will keep plants that tolerate the heat but remove others that are spent. Pumpkins and winter squash will take over for mid summer and then I will clean space to start new smaller plants of normal summer vegetables.

Pumpkins will fill the garden mid-summer and as they finish up I will rip them out to make room for the second summer planting season. So this is the plan. I will report how it goes. So far the garden is doing great and we are on track to harvest earlier than ever.