One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Santa Cruz it's possible to estimate when it's a good idea to plant aurinia.

Planting Calendar for Aurinia

Frost tolerance for aurinia:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Aurinia are very cold tolerant which means that you can start planting them much earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant aurinia in Santa Cruz is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant aurinia and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your aurinia may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your aurinia indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Santa Cruz and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Santa Cruz there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to protect your aurinia if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Cruz

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 Cruz

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