One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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.

The first chance to plant rudbeckia in Caledonia should be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Rudbeckia

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

Since rudbeckia are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant rudbeckia in Caledonia 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 rudbeckia and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your rudbeckia may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your rudbeckia indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on April 15 in Caledonia. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Caledonia is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Caledonia last frost occurs after April 15 so always be ready to protect your rudbeckia in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Caledonia

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 Caledonia

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