The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first chance to plant potatos in Santa Monica can be figured out by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Potatos

Frost tolerance for potatos:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Potatos are very cold tolerant which means that you can plant them a quite a bit earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant potatos in Santa Monica 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 potatos and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your potatos may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your potatos indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on January 31 in Santa Monica. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 35°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Santa Monica is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Santa Monica last frost occurs after January 31 so just be sure to be ready to protect your potatos if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Monica

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	35°F
Highest Expected Low	40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 40°F.

Plants to Grow in Santa Monica

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