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

One way of making a decision about when it's a good idea to plant lenten rose is to consult the USDA zone info for Taos.

Planting Calendar for Lenten Rose

Frost tolerance for lenten rose:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Since lenten rose do well in moderate cold you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant lenten rose in Taos is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant lenten rose and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your lenten rose may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your lenten rose indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Taos. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Taos and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in Taos it frosts late in the year after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your lenten rose in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Taos

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

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

Plants to Grow in Taos

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