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.

The first opportunity to plant dahlia in Princeton can be determined by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlia

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

Since dahlia require warm weather you need to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Princeton. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Princeton is just an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Princeton it frosts late in the year after March 15 be ready to cover your dahlia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Princeton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Princeton

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