Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The earliest that you can plant cantaloupes in Rayne should be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Cantaloupes

Frost tolerance for cantaloupes:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's not a good idea to plant cantaloupes until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant cantaloupes in Rayne 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 cantaloupes and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your cantaloupes may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your cantaloupes 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 February 15 in Rayne. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Rayne may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Rayne last frost occurs after February 15 be ready to cover your cantaloupes in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Rayne

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 Rayne

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