When to Plant Impatiens in Tampa, FL

Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine 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.

By using the USDA zone info for Tampa you should be able to estimate when it's the best time to plant impatiens.


Planting Calendar for Impatiens

Frost tolerance for impatiens: Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant: After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since impatiens do not do well in cold weather it's necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant impatiens
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant impatiens
Probably not a good time to plant impatiens

The earliest that you can plant impatiens in Tampa 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 impatiens and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your impatiens may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your impatiens indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on February 15 in Tampa. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 25°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Tampa may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Tampa you get a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your impatiens if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Tampa

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 Low25°F
Highest Expected Low30°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 Tampa

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