One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Bethel you can determine when it's a good idea to plant primula by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Primula

Frost tolerance for primula:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since primula are very cold tolerant you can plant them earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant primula in Bethel is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant primula and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your primula may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your primula indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Bethel the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -35°F.

Always keep in mind 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 Bethel and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Bethel you get a frost after May 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your primula if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Bethel

Here is the info for USDA Zone 3b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-35°F
Highest Expected Low	-30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -30°F.

Plants to Grow in Bethel

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