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.

You will be able to determine when to plant flax by checking out the USDA zone info for Arcata.

Planting Calendar for Flax

Frost tolerance for flax:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Flax do well in moderate cold which tells us that you can plant them a little bit earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

The last month that you can plant flax and expect a good harvest is probably October. Any later than that and your flax may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your flax indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Arcata. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Arcata is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Arcata it frosts late in the year after February 15 so always be ready to cover your flax in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Arcata

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 Arcata

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