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

By using the USDA zone info for Chelsea you should be able to estimate when to plant begonias.

Planting Calendar for Begonias

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

It's not a good idea to plant begonias until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant begonias in Chelsea is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant begonias and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your begonias may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your begonias indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Chelsea. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Chelsea is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Chelsea there is a last frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your begonias if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Chelsea

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Chelsea

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