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.

In Helotes you can determine when it's a good idea to plant tall phlox by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Tall Phlox

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

Since tall phlox do well in moderate cold you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant tall phlox in Helotes 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 tall phlox and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your tall phlox may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your tall phlox indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Helotes is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Helotes you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your tall phlox if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Helotes

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 Helotes

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