One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of estimating when it's a good idea to plant california poppy is to examine the USDA zone info for Elko.

Planting Calendar for California Poppy

Frost tolerance for california poppy:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

California Poppy do well in very little cold which means that you can plant them slightly earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant california poppy in Elko is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant california poppy and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your california poppy may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your california poppy indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Elko. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Elko is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Elko you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so always be ready to protect your california poppy if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Elko

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°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 -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Elko

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