One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You should be able to estimate when to plant bittercress by looking at the USDA zone info for La Mesa.

Planting Calendar for Bittercress

Frost tolerance for bittercress:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since bittercress are barely cold tolerant you can plant them slightly earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant bittercress in La Mesa 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 bittercress and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your bittercress may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your bittercress indoors.

Last Frost Date

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

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for La Mesa and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in La Mesa you get surprised by a frost after January 31 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your bittercress in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for La Mesa

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 La Mesa

You may be interested in your other planting guides for La Mesa.