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.

One way of estimating when it's the best time to plant fuchsia is to refer to the USDA zone info for Santa Clara.

Planting Calendar for Fuchsia

Frost tolerance for fuchsia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since fuchsia require warm weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

In Santa Clara the average date of last frost happens on February 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Santa Clara is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Santa Clara last frost occurs after February 15 be ready to cover your fuchsia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Clara

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 Santa Clara

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