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.

By using the USDA zone info for Encinitas it's a good idea to estimate when you can plant marigold.

Planting Calendar for Marigold

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

It's a bad idea to plant marigold until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant marigold in Encinitas 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 marigold and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your marigold may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your marigold indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is January 31 in Encinitas. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Encinitas is not always accurate the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Encinitas there is a last frost after January 31 so be sure to be ready to cover your marigold in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Encinitas

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 Encinitas

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