One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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 Ridgecrest you can determine when to plant schizanthus by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Schizanthus

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

Schizanthus require warm weather which means that it is important to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant schizanthus in Ridgecrest 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 schizanthus and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your schizanthus may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your schizanthus indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on March 15 in Ridgecrest. It might get as low as 15°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Ridgecrest may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Ridgecrest you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your schizanthus if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ridgecrest

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 Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°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 Ridgecrest

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