The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Santa Cruz should be read to determine when you can plant lisianthus.

Planting Calendar for Lisianthus

Frost tolerance for lisianthus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since lisianthus do not do well in cold weather it is important to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant lisianthus in Santa Cruz is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant lisianthus and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your lisianthus may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your lisianthus indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Santa Cruz. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Santa Cruz and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Santa Cruz last frost occurs after February 15 be ready to cover your lisianthus if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Cruz

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Santa Cruz

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Santa Cruz.