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

The best time to plant mustard greens in Santa Maria can be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Mustard greens

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

Since mustard greens are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a little earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

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

Last Frost Date

In Santa Maria the average date of last frost happens on February 15. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Santa Maria is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Santa Maria you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to cover your mustard greens in the event of a surprise late frost.

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.