One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

In Marathon you can figure out when you can plant catharanthus by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Catharanthus

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

Since catharanthus do not do well in cold weather it is necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant catharanthus in Marathon 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 catharanthus and expect a good harvest is probably November. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your catharanthus may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your catharanthus indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Marathon 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 Marathon 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 it never frosts in Marathon you do not have to be ready to protect your catharanthus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Marathon

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 Marathon

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