One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your 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.

A common way of estimating when it's the best time to plant skullcap is to consult the USDA zone info for Los Angeles.

Planting Calendar for Skullcap

Frost tolerance for skullcap:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Skullcap do not do well in cold weather which tells us that it is important to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant skullcap in Los Angeles 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 skullcap and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your skullcap may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your skullcap indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Los Angeles the average date of last frost happens on January 31. It might get as low as 35°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Los Angeles is an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Los Angeles you get surprised by a frost after January 31 so be sure to be ready to cover your skullcap if you have one of those late frosts.

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.