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 first chance to plant creeping zinnia in Shafter should be figured out by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Creeping Zinnia

Frost tolerance for creeping zinnia:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Creeping Zinnia can survive in some cold which means that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant creeping zinnia in Shafter is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant creeping zinnia and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your creeping zinnia may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your creeping zinnia indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Shafter. You should expect an average low temperature of 20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Shafter may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Shafter there is a last frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your creeping zinnia in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Shafter

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Shafter

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Shafter.