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 can estimate when it's a good idea to plant zinnia in Fort Lauderdale by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Zinnia

Frost tolerance for zinnia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Zinnia are not cold tolerant which tells us that it's necessary to wait until it warms up after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant zinnia in Fort Lauderdale 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 zinnia and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your zinnia may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your zinnia indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Fort Lauderdale the average date of last frost happens on January 31. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 35°F.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Fort Lauderdale and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in Fort Lauderdale there is a last frost after January 31 so make sure that you are ready to protect your zinnia if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fort Lauderdale

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	35°F
Highest Expected Low	40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 40°F.

Plants to Grow in Fort Lauderdale

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Fort Lauderdale.