One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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 reviewing the USDA zone info for Atwater you should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant lithospermum.

Planting Calendar for Lithospermum

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

It's a bad idea to plant lithospermum until after all chance of frost has passed because they require warm weather.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Atwater. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Atwater is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Atwater you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to cover your lithospermum if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Atwater

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Atwater

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