The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of getting a good idea when it's the best time to plant fennel is to refer to the USDA zone info for Matawan.

Planting Calendar for Fennel

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

Fennel do well in cold which tells us that you can start planting them much earlier than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant fennel in Matawan 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 fennel and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your fennel may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your fennel indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on April 15 in Matawan. You should expect an average low temperature of 0°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Matawan may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Matawan there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your fennel in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Matawan

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 Matawan

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