Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Rumson should be reviewed to estimate when it's a good idea to plant catharanthus.

Planting Calendar for Catharanthus

Frost tolerance for catharanthus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since catharanthus do not do well in cold weather it is important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant catharanthus in Rumson 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 catharanthus and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your catharanthus may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your catharanthus indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Rumson 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 Rumson there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to protect your catharanthus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Rumson

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 Rumson

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