One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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 Fairbanks you can figure out when you can plant marigold by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Marigold

Frost tolerance for marigold:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since marigold do not do well in cold weather it is important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant marigold in Fairbanks is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant marigold and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your marigold may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your marigold indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Fairbanks the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -50°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Fairbanks is an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Fairbanks there is a last frost after May 15 be ready to protect your marigold if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fairbanks

Here is the info for USDA Zone 2a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	August 15
Lowest Expected Low	-50°F
Highest Expected Low	-45°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -50°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -45°F.

Plants to Grow in Fairbanks

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