One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about your gardening schedule is find your 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.

In Santa Maria you can estimate when it's the best time to plant torenia by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Torenia

Frost tolerance for torenia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since torenia are not cold tolerant you must wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant torenia in Santa Maria is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant torenia and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your torenia may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your torenia indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Santa Maria is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Santa Maria last frost occurs after February 15 so always be ready to cover your torenia 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.