Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out 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.

You should be able to determine when it's the best time to plant dahlia by reviewing the USDA zone info for Fargo.

Planting Calendar for Dahlia

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

Since dahlia are not cold tolerant you have to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlia in Fargo is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant dahlia and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your dahlia may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your dahlia indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on May 15 in Fargo. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -30°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Fargo and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Fargo you get surprised by a frost after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your dahlia if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fargo

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Fargo

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