One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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 estimating when it's the best time to plant dahlias is to look at the USDA zone info for Marine City.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

Frost tolerance for dahlias:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since dahlias require warm weather it is important to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Marine City 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 dahlias and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your dahlias may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your dahlias indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Marine City. You should expect an average low temperature of -10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Marine City is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Marine City there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your dahlias in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Marine City

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°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 -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Marine City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Marine City.