One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

The USDA zone info for Melbourne should be looked at to determine when it's a good idea to plant bellis.

Planting Calendar for Bellis

Frost tolerance for bellis:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Since bellis do well in moderate cold you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant bellis in Melbourne 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 bellis and expect a good harvest is probably October. Any later than that and your bellis may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your bellis indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Melbourne the average date of last frost happens on February 15. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Melbourne and it changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Melbourne you get surprised by a frost after February 15 be ready to protect your bellis in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Melbourne

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 Melbourne

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