The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's possible to estimate when it's possible to plant heliotrope by using the USDA zone info for Ione.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

Frost tolerance for heliotrope:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's not a good idea to plant heliotrope until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope in Ione 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 heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your heliotrope may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your heliotrope indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Ione. You should expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Ione is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Ione it frosts late in the year after February 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your heliotrope if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ione

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 Ione

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