Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Orange should be used to estimate when it's the best time to plant skullcap.

Planting Calendar for Skullcap

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

You really shouldn't plant skullcap until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant skullcap in Orange 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. Any later than that and your skullcap may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your skullcap indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is January 31 in Orange. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Orange is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Orange you get a frost after January 31 be ready to protect your skullcap in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Orange

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	30°F
Highest Expected Low	35°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 35°F.

Plants to Grow in Orange

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