One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

In Houston you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant chrysanthemum by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

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

Since chrysanthemum require warm weather you really should wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in Houston 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your chrysanthemum indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Houston. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Houston and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in Houston you get surprised by a frost after February 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your chrysanthemum if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Houston

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Houston

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