One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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.

In Federal Way you can figure out when to plant aubrieta by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Aubrieta

Frost tolerance for aubrieta:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Since aubrieta are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant aubrieta in Federal Way 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 aubrieta and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your aubrieta may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your aubrieta indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Federal Way. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Federal Way is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Federal Way you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your aubrieta in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Federal Way

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Federal Way

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Federal Way.