When to Plant Basil in Paso Robles, CA

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.

The earliest that you can plant basil in Paso Robles should be determined by using the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Basil

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

You can not plant basil until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant basil
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant basil
Probably not a good time to plant basil

The earliest that you can plant basil in Paso Robles is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant basil and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your basil may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your basil indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Paso Robles. It might get as low as 15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Paso Robles is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Paso Robles you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your basil if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Paso Robles

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)November 15
Lowest Expected Low15°F
Highest Expected Low20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Paso Robles

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Paso Robles.