One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

The USDA zone info for Olympia can be used to determine when it's a good idea to plant tall phlox.

Planting Calendar for Tall Phlox

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

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

The earliest that you can plant tall phlox in Olympia 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 tall phlox and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your tall phlox may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your tall phlox indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on March 15 in Olympia. You should expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Olympia and it is different every year. Half of the time in Olympia last frost occurs after March 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your tall phlox in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Olympia

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 Olympia

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Olympia.