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.

You will be able to estimate when it's a good idea to plant scallions by referring to the USDA zone info for New Orleans.

Planting Calendar for Scallions

Frost tolerance for scallions:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Scallions do ok in moderate cold which tells us that you can get them planted just a bit earlier than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant scallions in New Orleans is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant scallions and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your scallions may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your scallions indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in New Orleans. You can expect an average low temperature of 25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for New Orleans and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in New Orleans you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so always be ready to protect your scallions if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for New Orleans

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 Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°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 New Orleans

You may be interested in your other planting guides for New Orleans.