One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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 Patterson you can determine when it's possible to plant chard by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chard

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

Chard do well in moderate cold which means that you can plant them earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant chard in Patterson 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 chard and expect a good harvest is probably October. Any later than that and your chard may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your chard indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on February 15 in Patterson. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Patterson is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Patterson it frosts late in the year after February 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your chard in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Patterson

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 Patterson

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