The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The earliest that you can plant dahlia in Zone 12b can be determined by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Dahlia

Frost tolerance for dahlia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since dahlia are not cold tolerant it is important to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant dahlia in Zone 12b is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant dahlia and expect a good harvest is probably November. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your dahlia may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your dahlia indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 12b it never frosts. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 55°F.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Zone 12b and it changes from year to year. Since it never frosts in Zone 12b you do not have to be ready to cover your dahlia if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 12b

Here is the info for USDA Zone 12b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	55°F
Highest Expected Low	60°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 55°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 60°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 12b

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 12b.