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.

By using the USDA zone info for Cedar Rapids it's possible to determine when it's possible to plant rock cress.

Planting Calendar for Rock Cress

Frost tolerance for rock cress:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Rock Cress tend to make it in a bit of cold which means that you can plant them earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant rock cress in Cedar Rapids 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 rock cress and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your rock cress may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your rock cress indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Cedar Rapids. You should expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Cedar Rapids is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Cedar Rapids it frosts late in the year after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your rock cress in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Cedar Rapids

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 Cedar Rapids

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Cedar Rapids.