One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

You can figure out when it's a good idea to plant aubrieta in Des Plaines by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Aubrieta

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

Aubrieta do well in moderate cold which tells us that you can start planting them earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant aubrieta in Des Plaines 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 aubrieta and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your aubrieta may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your aubrieta indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Des Plaines. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Des Plaines is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Des Plaines there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your aubrieta in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Des Plaines

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Des Plaines

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Des Plaines.