One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate 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.

By using the USDA zone info for Modesto you should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant chrysanthemum.

Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

Frost tolerance for chrysanthemum:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant chrysanthemum until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in Modesto 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your chrysanthemum 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 Modesto. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Modesto is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Modesto there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your chrysanthemum if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Modesto

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Modesto

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