One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the 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 Santa Cruz can be looked at to determine when it's possible to plant sutera.

Planting Calendar for Sutera

Frost tolerance for sutera:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since sutera do ok in moderate cold you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant sutera in Santa Cruz 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 sutera and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your sutera may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your sutera indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks 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.

Remember that USDA zone info for Santa Cruz is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Santa Cruz there is a last frost after February 15 so always be ready to cover your sutera in the event of one of those late frosts.

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.