One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

In Needles you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant new zealand spinach by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for New Zealand spinach

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

Since new zealand spinach 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 new zealand spinach in Needles 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 new zealand spinach and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your new zealand spinach may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your new zealand spinach indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Needles the average date of last frost happens on February 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Needles is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Needles there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your new zealand spinach in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Needles

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 Needles

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