One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

A way of estimating when you can plant pincushion flower is to check out the USDA zone info for Scotts Valley.

Planting Calendar for Pincushion Flower

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

Since pincushion flower do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

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

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Scotts Valley is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Scotts Valley there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your pincushion flower in the event of a surprise 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.