Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate 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.

One way of figuring out when it's a good idea to plant dahlia is to use the USDA zone info for Shelton.

Planting Calendar for Dahlia

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

You really shouldn't plant dahlia until after the last frost because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant dahlia in Shelton is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant dahlia and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your dahlia may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your dahlia indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Shelton. It might get as low as -5°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Shelton may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Shelton you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your dahlia if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Shelton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Shelton

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