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

In Santa Cruz you can determine when to plant bachelor buttons by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Bachelor Buttons

Frost tolerance for bachelor buttons:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Bachelor Buttons can survive in moderate cold which means that you can plant them a little earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

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

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Santa Cruz. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate 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 last frost occurs after February 15 be ready to cover your bachelor buttons in the event of 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.