The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out 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.

By using the USDA zone info for Portales you should be able to figure out when it's possible to plant skullcap.

Planting Calendar for Skullcap

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

You should not plant skullcap until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant skullcap in Portales 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 skullcap and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your skullcap may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your skullcap indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Portales is not always accurate the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Portales you get a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your skullcap in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Portales

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 Portales

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