One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Murrieta can be reviewed to estimate when it's possible to plant balsam.

Planting Calendar for Balsam

Frost tolerance for balsam:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since balsam require warm weather you have to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant balsam in Murrieta is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant balsam and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your balsam may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your balsam indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on January 31 in Murrieta. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Murrieta and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Murrieta you get surprised by a frost after January 31 so be sure to be ready to protect your balsam in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Murrieta

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	30°F
Highest Expected Low	35°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 35°F.

Plants to Grow in Murrieta

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Murrieta.