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 San Carlos you can estimate when it's possible to plant dahlia by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlia

Frost tolerance for dahlia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since dahlia do not do well in cold weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlia in San Carlos 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 dahlia and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your dahlia may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your dahlia indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In San Carlos the average date of last frost happens on January 31. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 30°F.

Remember that USDA zone info for San Carlos is an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in San Carlos it frosts late in the year after January 31 so make sure that you are ready to cover your dahlia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for San Carlos

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 San Carlos

You may be interested in your other planting guides for San Carlos.