The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out 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.

In Scotts Valley you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant gherkins by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Gherkins

Frost tolerance for gherkins:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since gherkins are not cold tolerant it is necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant gherkins in Scotts Valley 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 gherkins and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your gherkins may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your gherkins indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Scotts Valley. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Scotts Valley may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Scotts Valley you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your gherkins if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Scotts Valley

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 Scotts Valley

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Scotts Valley.