Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of determining when it's possible to plant dahlias is to check out the USDA zone info for Lonoke.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

Frost tolerance for dahlias:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since dahlias require warm weather you must wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Lonoke 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 dahlias and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your dahlias may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your dahlias indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on March 15 in Lonoke. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Lonoke is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Lonoke it frosts late in the year after March 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your dahlias in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Lonoke

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 Lonoke

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