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.

The USDA zone info for San Carlos can be reviewed to estimate when you can plant dahlias.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

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

It's not a good idea to plant dahlias until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

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

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for San Carlos is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in San Carlos there is a last frost after January 31 be ready to protect your dahlias in the event of a late frost.

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.