When to Plant Snapdragons in Swarthmore, PA

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.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Swarthmore you should be able to determine when it's a good idea to plant snapdragons.


Planting Calendar for Snapdragons

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

Since snapdragons do well in moderate cold you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant snapdragons
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant snapdragons
Probably not a good time to plant snapdragons

The earliest that you can plant snapdragons in Swarthmore 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 snapdragons and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your snapdragons may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your snapdragons indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Swarthmore the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You should expect an average low temperature of 0°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Swarthmore may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Swarthmore you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your snapdragons if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Swarthmore

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 Low0°F
Highest Expected Low5°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 Swarthmore

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