One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Arroyo Grande you will be able to determine when you can plant chard.

Planting Calendar for Chard

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

Since chard do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little bit earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant chard in Arroyo Grande 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 chard and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your chard may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your chard indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Arroyo Grande. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Arroyo Grande is not always accurate 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 be sure to be ready to cover your chard in the event of 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 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 Arroyo Grande

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