The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of making a decision about when you can plant melons is to use the USDA zone info for Paradise.

Planting Calendar for Melons

Frost tolerance for melons:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since melons do not do well in cold weather you have to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant melons in Paradise 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 melons and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your melons may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your melons indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Paradise. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Paradise may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Paradise you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your melons if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Paradise

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 Paradise

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