One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

The best time to plant foxglove in Ames can be determined by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Foxglove

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

Foxglove do well in moderate cold which means that you can get them planted earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant foxglove 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 foxglove and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your foxglove may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your foxglove indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Ames. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Ames is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Ames you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your foxglove if you have a surprise 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.