When to Plant Cantaloupes in Arroyo Grande, CA

One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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.

In Arroyo Grande you can figure out when it's the best time to plant cantaloupes by reviewing the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Cantaloupes

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

You can not plant cantaloupes until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant cantaloupes
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant cantaloupes
Probably not a good time to plant cantaloupes

The earliest that you can plant cantaloupes in Arroyo Grande 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 cantaloupes and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your cantaloupes may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your cantaloupes indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Arroyo Grande is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Arroyo Grande it frosts late in the year after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your cantaloupes if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Arroyo Grande

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 Low25°F
Highest Expected Low30°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 Arroyo Grande

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Arroyo Grande.