Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. 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 polka dot plant in Ankeny can be estimated by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Polka Dot Plant

Frost tolerance for polka dot plant:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

It's not a good idea to plant polka dot plant until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant polka dot plant in Ankeny is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant polka dot plant and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your polka dot plant may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your polka dot plant indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on April 15 in Ankeny. You should expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Ankeny is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Ankeny last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to protect your polka dot plant if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Ankeny

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 Ankeny

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