One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about 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 oleander by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Oleander

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

You really shouldn't plant oleander until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant oleander 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 oleander and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your oleander may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your oleander indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on March 15 in Valparaiso. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Valparaiso may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Valparaiso last frost occurs after March 15 be ready to cover your oleander if you have a surprise 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.