One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to estimate when it's the best time to plant marigold by referring to the USDA zone info for Key West.

Planting Calendar for Marigold

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

Marigold do not do well in cold weather which tells us that it's important to wait until it warms up after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant marigold 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 marigold and expect a good harvest is probably November. Any later than that and your marigold may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your marigold indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Key West it never frosts. It might get as low as 45°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember 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 marigold in the event of a surprise 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.