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.

A way of getting a good idea when it's a good idea to plant canna is to use the USDA zone info for Ocala.

Planting Calendar for Canna

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

You really shouldn't plant canna until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant canna in Ocala is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant canna and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your canna may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your canna indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Ocala. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Ocala may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Ocala last frost occurs after February 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your canna in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ocala

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Ocala

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