One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Merced it's a good idea to estimate when it's the best time to plant crossandra.

Planting Calendar for Crossandra

Frost tolerance for crossandra:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Crossandra do not do well in cold weather which means 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 crossandra in Merced 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 crossandra and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your crossandra may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your crossandra indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Merced the average date of last frost happens on February 15. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Merced and it will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Merced there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your crossandra in the event of a 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.