One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your 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.

A way of figuring out when it's the best time to plant new zealand spinach is to consult the USDA zone info for Madison.

Planting Calendar for New Zealand spinach

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

You can plant new zealand spinach just a bit earlier in the year because they are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Madison. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 5°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Madison is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Madison there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your new zealand spinach in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Madison

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	5°F
Highest Expected Low	10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 10°F.

Plants to Grow in Madison

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