The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Santa Maria you should be able to determine when to plant endive.

Planting Calendar for Endive

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

You can plant endive a little earlier in the year because they are moderately cold tolerant.

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

Last Frost Date

In Santa Maria 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.

Since the USDA zone info for Santa Maria is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Santa Maria you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so always be ready to cover your endive in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Maria

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 Maria

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