When to Plant Hemerocallis in Grinnell, IA

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening 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 chance to plant hemerocallis in Grinnell should be figured out by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Hemerocallis

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

Hemerocallis do well in moderate cold which means that you can get them planted earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

The earliest that you can plant hemerocallis in Grinnell 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 hemerocallis and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your hemerocallis may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your hemerocallis indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Grinnell the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

Remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Grinnell and it changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Grinnell you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your hemerocallis in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Grinnell

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 Grinnell

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Grinnell.