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.

In Dade City you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant painted tongues by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Painted Tongues

Frost tolerance for painted tongues:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since painted tongues are not cold tolerant you have to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant painted tongues in Dade City is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant painted tongues and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your painted tongues may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your painted tongues indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Dade City. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Dade City is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Dade City you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to protect your painted tongues if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Dade City

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 Dade City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Dade City.