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.

A way of getting a good idea when it's the best time to plant shallots is to check out the USDA zone info for Rancho Santa Margarita.

Planting Calendar for Shallots

Frost tolerance for shallots:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since shallots are one of those plants that can tolerate a tiny bit of cold weather you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant shallots in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 shallots and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your shallots may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your shallots indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on January 31 in Rancho Santa Margarita. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Rancho Santa Margarita is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Rancho Santa Margarita last frost occurs after January 31 so be sure to be ready to cover your shallots if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Rancho Santa Margarita

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 Rancho Santa Margarita

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Rancho Santa Margarita.