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.

In Marathon you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant melampodium by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Melampodium

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

Melampodium require warm weather which tells us that it is necessary to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant melampodium in Marathon is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant melampodium and expect a good harvest is probably November. If you wait any later than that and your melampodium may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your melampodium indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Marathon it never frosts. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 45°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Marathon may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since it never frosts in Marathon you do not have to be ready to protect your melampodium in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Marathon

Here is the info for USDA Zone 11b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	45°F
Highest Expected Low	50°F

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

Plants to Grow in Marathon

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