When to Plant Calendula in Zone 3a

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.

The first opportunity to plant calendula in Zone 3a should be determined by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Calendula

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

Since calendula are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather you can plant them a little earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant calendula
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant calendula
Probably not a good time to plant calendula

The earliest that you can plant calendula in Zone 3a is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant calendula and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your calendula may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your calendula indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on May 15 in Zone 3a. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -40°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Zone 3a is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Zone 3a you get surprised by a frost after May 15 be ready to cover your calendula in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 3a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 3a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)September 15
Lowest Expected Low-40°F
Highest Expected Low-35°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -40°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -35°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 3a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 3a.