One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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 first chance to plant hypericum in Ames should be estimated by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Hypericum

Frost tolerance for hypericum:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since hypericum are one of those plants that can tolerate a tiny bit of cold weather you can plant them just a tiny bit earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant hypericum in Ames is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

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

Last Frost Date

In Ames the average date of last frost happens on April 15. 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. Since half of the time in Ames you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your hypericum in the event of one of those late frosts.

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.