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.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Orange it's a good idea to estimate when you can plant achimenes.

Planting Calendar for Achimenes

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

Achimenes do not do well in cold weather which means that you have to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant achimenes in Orange 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 achimenes and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your achimenes may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your achimenes indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Orange the average date of last frost happens on February 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Orange may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Orange last frost occurs after February 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your achimenes if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Orange

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 Orange

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