Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Los Angeles can be reviewed to determine when it's the best time to plant dianthus.

Planting Calendar for Dianthus

Frost tolerance for dianthus:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Dianthus do well in moderate cold which tells us that you can plant them earlier than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant dianthus in Los Angeles is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant dianthus and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your dianthus may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your dianthus indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is January 31 in Los Angeles. You should expect an average low temperature of 35°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Los Angeles is just an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Los Angeles you get surprised by a frost after January 31 be ready to cover your dianthus if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Los Angeles

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	35°F
Highest Expected Low	40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 40°F.

Plants to Grow in Los Angeles

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Los Angeles.