The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first chance to plant leeks in Shafter should be determined by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Leeks

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

Leeks can survive in cold weather which means that you can plant them a lot earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant leeks in Shafter 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 leeks and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your leeks may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your leeks indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Shafter. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Shafter and it will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Shafter you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your leeks if you have 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.