Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

You can figure out when to plant chamomile in Ames by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chamomile

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

You can plant chamomile just a bit earlier in the year because they are moderately cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant chamomile in Ames 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 chamomile and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your chamomile may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your chamomile 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 Ames. You can expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Ames is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Ames there is a last frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your chamomile in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ames

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-20°F
Highest Expected Low	-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Ames

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