One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Newport News you will be able to determine when it's a good idea to plant basket of gold.

Planting Calendar for Basket of Gold

Frost tolerance for basket of gold:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Basket of Gold are very cold tolerant which means that you can start planting them much earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant basket of gold in Newport News 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 basket of gold and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your basket of gold may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your basket of gold indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on March 15 in Newport News. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Newport News is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Newport News it frosts late in the year after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your basket of gold if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Newport News

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 Newport News

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Newport News.