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.

One way of getting a good idea when it's a good idea to plant balsam is to consult the USDA zone info for Dana Point.

Planting Calendar for Balsam

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

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

The earliest that you can plant balsam in Dana Point is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant balsam and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your balsam may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your balsam indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is January 31 in Dana Point. It might get as low as 30°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Dana Point may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Dana Point there is a last frost after January 31 so make sure that you are ready to protect your balsam if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Dana Point

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	30°F
Highest Expected Low	35°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 35°F.

Plants to Grow in Dana Point

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Dana Point.