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.

One way of getting a good idea when to plant blue throatwort is to examine the USDA zone info for Des Moines.

Planting Calendar for Blue Throatwort

Frost tolerance for blue throatwort:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

You should not plant blue throatwort until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant blue throatwort in Des Moines 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 blue throatwort and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your blue throatwort may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your blue throatwort indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Des Moines the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Des Moines is an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Des Moines you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your blue throatwort if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Des Moines

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Des Moines

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Des Moines.