One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your 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.

You should be able to determine when to plant erysimum by looking at the USDA zone info for Taft.

Planting Calendar for Erysimum

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

Erysimum do ok in mild 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 erysimum in Taft 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 erysimum and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your erysimum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your erysimum indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Taft. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Taft and it is different every year. Half of the time in Taft you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your erysimum in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Taft

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 Taft

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