Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of making a decision about when it's a good idea to plant leeks is to refer to the USDA zone info for Bessemer.

Planting Calendar for Leeks

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

Leeks are very cold tolerant which means that you can plant them much earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant leeks in Bessemer 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 leeks and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your leeks may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your leeks indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Bessemer. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Bessemer is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Bessemer there is a last frost after March 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your leeks in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Bessemer

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

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

Plants to Grow in Bessemer

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