One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about 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 White Oak you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant dahlias by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlias

Frost tolerance for dahlias:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You can not plant dahlias until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant dahlias in White Oak 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 dahlias and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your dahlias may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your dahlias indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Remember that USDA zone info for White Oak is an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in White Oak last frost occurs after March 15 be ready to protect your dahlias if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for White Oak

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 White Oak

You may be interested in your other planting guides for White Oak.