One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first chance to plant salpiglossis in Ruidoso can be figured out by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Salpiglossis

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

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

The earliest that you can plant salpiglossis in Ruidoso 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 salpiglossis and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your salpiglossis may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your salpiglossis indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Ruidoso the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -5°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Ruidoso is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Ruidoso last frost occurs after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your salpiglossis in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ruidoso

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Ruidoso

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