Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of making a decision about when to plant zinnia is to check out the USDA zone info for Port Orchard.

Planting Calendar for Zinnia

Frost tolerance for zinnia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since zinnia are not cold tolerant it's important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant zinnia in Port Orchard 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 zinnia and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your zinnia may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your zinnia indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Port Orchard. You should expect an average low temperature of 15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Port Orchard may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Port Orchard there is a last frost after March 15 be ready to cover your zinnia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Port Orchard

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 Port Orchard

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Port Orchard.