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 looking at the USDA zone info for Newport News it's a good idea to estimate when it's possible to plant chrysanthemum.

Planting Calendar for Chrysanthemum

Frost tolerance for chrysanthemum:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

It's not a good idea to plant chrysanthemum until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant chrysanthemum in Newport News 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 chrysanthemum and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your chrysanthemum may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your chrysanthemum indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is 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 just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Newport News last frost occurs after March 15 be ready to cover your chrysanthemum in the event of 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.