Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. 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 Merced you will be able to estimate when it's the best time to plant bellis.

Planting Calendar for Bellis

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

Since bellis do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant bellis in Merced 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 bellis and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your bellis may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your bellis indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Merced. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Merced and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Merced there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to protect your bellis in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Merced

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Merced

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