When to plant your garden is determined by more than just your growing zone. Here are 3 important temperature ranges to be aware of & how they impact the growth of your plants…

Growing zones are based on the average minimum temperature for the year – but they don’t tell you when they occur, which means that your planting dates might be different from someone else in the same zone. Your growing zone is a helpful way to determine which plants will grow well in your area without being killed by winter cold (or summer heat), but it doesn’t actually tell you specifically when to plant.

In fact, there are three different temperatures you should be aware of for your location in order to determine the best planting schedule for your local conditions (particularly for warm-weather crops), whether you are growing spring and summer crops, or extending your garden season into the fall and winter.

1. When is the first (and last) frost date for your area?

2. When do temperatures get below (and above) 50-55 degrees at night?

3. When (if ever) does it stay at or above 85 degrees at night?

Watch Stacey Murphy’s video below to learn why these 3 temperature ranges are so important for your garden, and how to find out this information for your specific location: