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.

One way of determining when it's a good idea to plant fennel is to examine the USDA zone info for Soldotna.

Planting Calendar for Fennel

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

Since fennel are very cold tolerant you can plant them earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant fennel in Soldotna 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 fennel and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your fennel may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your fennel indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Soldotna the average date of last frost happens on May 15. It might get as low as -30°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Soldotna may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Soldotna there is a last frost after May 15 be ready to protect your fennel in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Soldotna

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Soldotna

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