One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

A way of determining when you can plant painted tongues is to consult the USDA zone info for Houma.

Planting Calendar for Painted Tongues

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

It's not a good idea to plant painted tongues until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant painted tongues in Houma 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 painted tongues and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your painted tongues may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your painted tongues indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Houma the average date of last frost happens on February 15. You should expect an average low temperature of 20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Houma is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Houma it frosts late in the year after February 15 be ready to cover your painted tongues if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Houma

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 Houma

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