Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine 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.

By using the USDA zone info for Santa Barbara it's possible to estimate when it's the best time to plant begonias.

Planting Calendar for Begonias

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

Since begonias require warm weather you must wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on January 31 in Santa Barbara. It might get as low as 30°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Santa Barbara is an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Santa Barbara there is a last frost after January 31 so be sure to be ready to cover your begonias in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Barbara

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 Santa Barbara

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