One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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 Portola Valley you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant coleus by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Coleus

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

Coleus are not cold tolerant which tells us that it is important to wait until it warms up after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant coleus in Portola Valley 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 coleus and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your coleus may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your coleus indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Portola Valley the average date of last frost happens on January 31. You should expect an average low temperature of 30°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Portola Valley is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Portola Valley you get surprised by a frost after January 31 so be sure to be ready to cover your coleus in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Portola Valley

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 Portola Valley

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Portola Valley.