One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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 Ocoee you can estimate when to plant dahlias by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

Frost tolerance for dahlias:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since dahlias are not cold tolerant you need to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Ocoee 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 dahlias and expect a good harvest is probably September. 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 few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on February 15 in Ocoee. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Ocoee is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Ocoee there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to protect your dahlias if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ocoee

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 Ocoee

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