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.

The earliest that you can plant regal geranium in Ames should be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Regal Geranium

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

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

The earliest that you can plant regal geranium 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 regal geranium and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your regal geranium may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your regal geranium indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Ames the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Ames and it 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 protect your regal geranium in the event of 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.