One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Calistoga can be looked at to estimate when to plant fennel.

Planting Calendar for Fennel

Frost tolerance for fennel:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Fennel do well in cold which tells us that you can get them planted much earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant fennel in Calistoga 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 fennel and expect a good harvest is probably October. Any later than that and your fennel may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your fennel indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Calistoga. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Calistoga may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Calistoga you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so always be ready to cover your fennel if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Calistoga

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 Calistoga

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