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.

By using the USDA zone info for Mercer Island it's a good idea to determine when it's the best time to plant candytuft.

Planting Calendar for Candytuft

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

You can plant candytuft a bit earlier in the year because they are moderately cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant candytuft in Mercer Island 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 candytuft and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your candytuft may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your candytuft indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on March 15 in Mercer Island. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Mercer Island is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Mercer Island you get a frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your candytuft if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Mercer Island

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 Mercer Island

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Mercer Island.