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

The USDA zone info for Bakersfield should be used to estimate when you can plant chrysanthemum.

Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

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

Since chrysanthemum are not cold tolerant it's important to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in Bakersfield 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your chrysanthemum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Bakersfield and it is different every year. Half of the time in Bakersfield you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so always be ready to cover your chrysanthemum in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Bakersfield

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 Bakersfield

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