One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of making a decision about when you can plant gherkins is to look at the USDA zone info for Zone 13a.

Planting Calendar for Gherkins

Frost tolerance for gherkins:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

You should not plant gherkins until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant gherkins in Zone 13a 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 gherkins and expect a good harvest is probably November. Any later than that and your gherkins may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your gherkins indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 13a it never frosts. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 60°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Zone 13a and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since it never frosts in Zone 13a you do not have to be ready to cover your gherkins in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 13a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 13a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	60°F
Highest Expected Low	65°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 60°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 65°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 13a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 13a.