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

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Carlsbad should be figured out by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

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

Since dahlias require warm weather it's important to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in Carlsbad 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 really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your dahlias indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Carlsbad. You should expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Carlsbad is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Carlsbad there is a last frost after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your dahlias in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Carlsbad

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Carlsbad

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