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.

The USDA zone info for Key West can be used to determine when you can plant dahlias.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

Frost tolerance for dahlias:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You should not plant dahlias until after all chance of frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Key West 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 dahlias and expect a good harvest is probably November. Any later than that and your dahlias may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your dahlias indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Key West it never frosts. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 45°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Key West is just an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since it never frosts in Key West you do not have to be ready to cover your dahlias if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Key West

Here is the info for USDA Zone 11b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	45°F
Highest Expected Low	50°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 45°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 50°F.

Plants to Grow in Key West

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Key West.