One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first opportunity to plant chrysanthemum in El Centro should be figured out by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

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

You really shouldn't plant chrysanthemum until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in El Centro 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your chrysanthemum 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 El Centro. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for El Centro and it will vary from year to year. Half of the time in El Centro there is a last frost after January 31 so always be ready to protect your chrysanthemum if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for El Centro

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 El Centro

You may be interested in your other planting guides for El Centro.