When to Plant Arctotis in Zone 5a

One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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 best time to plant arctotis in Zone 5a can be estimated by checking out the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Arctotis

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

Since arctotis do well in moderate cold you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

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

The earliest that you can plant arctotis in Zone 5a 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 arctotis and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your arctotis may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your arctotis indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Zone 5a. It might get as low as -20°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Zone 5a and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Zone 5a it frosts late in the year after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your arctotis if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 5a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)October 15
Lowest Expected Low-20°F
Highest Expected Low-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 5a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 5a.