The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening 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 figuring out when it's the best time to plant marigold is to consult the USDA zone info for Salinas.

Planting Calendar for Marigold

Frost tolerance for marigold:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You should not plant marigold until after the last frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant marigold in Salinas is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant marigold and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your marigold may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your marigold indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on February 15 in Salinas. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Salinas is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Salinas you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to protect your marigold in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Salinas

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 Salinas

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