One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate 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.

The first opportunity to plant hollyhocks in Starke can be figured out by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Hollyhocks

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

Since hollyhocks are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant hollyhocks in Starke 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 hollyhocks and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your hollyhocks may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your hollyhocks 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 Starke. You should expect an average low temperature of 20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Starke may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Starke you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your hollyhocks if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Starke

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 Starke

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