One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for West Memphis it's a good idea to estimate when it's possible to plant basil.

Planting Calendar for Basil

Frost tolerance for basil:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

It's probably not a good idea to plant basil until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant basil in West Memphis is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant basil and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your basil may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your basil indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in West Memphis. You can expect an average low temperature of 5°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for West Memphis may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in West Memphis there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to protect your basil if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for West Memphis

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 West Memphis

You may be interested in your other planting guides for West Memphis.