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.

You should be able to determine when it's the best time to plant carnation by referring to the USDA zone info for Elizabeth.

Planting Calendar for Carnation

Frost tolerance for carnation:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Carnation can survive in cold weather which tells us that you can plant them a lot earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant carnation in Elizabeth 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 carnation and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your carnation may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your carnation indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Elizabeth. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Elizabeth is just an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Elizabeth it frosts late in the year after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your carnation if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Elizabeth

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Elizabeth

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