When to Plant Firebush in Charles City, IA

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. 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 firebush in Charles City can be figured out by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Firebush

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

Firebush do not do well in cold weather which means that you have to wait until it warms up after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant firebush
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant firebush
Probably not a good time to plant firebush

The earliest that you can plant firebush in Charles City 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 firebush and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your firebush may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your firebush indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Charles City. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Charles City is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Charles City you get a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your firebush if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Charles City

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 Charles City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Charles City.