One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your 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 Valparaiso you can determine when it's the best time to plant bidens by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Bidens

Frost tolerance for bidens:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

It's a bad idea to plant bidens until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

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

The last month that you can plant bidens and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your bidens may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your bidens indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Valparaiso. It might get as low as 15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Valparaiso may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Valparaiso it frosts late in the year after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your bidens if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Valparaiso

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Valparaiso

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