One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the 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 you can plant achimenes is to look at the USDA zone info for Converse.

Planting Calendar for Achimenes

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

Since achimenes do not do well in cold weather it's important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant achimenes in Converse 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 achimenes and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your achimenes may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your achimenes indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on March 15 in Converse. It might get as low as 15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Converse is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Converse there is a last frost after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your achimenes if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Converse

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°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 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Converse

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