One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

One way of estimating when it's a good idea to plant portulaca is to refer to the USDA zone info for Hampton.

Planting Calendar for Portulaca

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

Portulaca require warm weather which means that you have to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant portulaca in Hampton 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 portulaca and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your portulaca may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your portulaca indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Hampton. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Hampton and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Hampton you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your portulaca in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Hampton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Hampton

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