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.

A way of estimating when it's the best time to plant hamelia is to consult the USDA zone info for South Bay.

Planting Calendar for Hamelia

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

Since hamelia 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 hamelia in South Bay is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on January 31 in South Bay. It might get as low as 30°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for South Bay and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in South Bay it frosts late in the year after January 31 be ready to cover your hamelia if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for South Bay

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	30°F
Highest Expected Low	35°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 35°F.

Plants to Grow in South Bay

You may be interested in your other planting guides for South Bay.