One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for New Milford it's possible to estimate when it's a good idea to plant dahlias.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

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

Since dahlias require warm weather you really should wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in New Milford 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. Starting your dahlias indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in New Milford. You can expect an average low temperature of 0°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for New Milford is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in New Milford last frost occurs after April 15 so always be ready to protect your dahlias in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for New Milford

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 New Milford

You may be interested in your other planting guides for New Milford.