One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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 checking out the USDA zone info for Des Moines it's a good idea to figure out when it's possible to plant thunbergia.

Planting Calendar for Thunbergia

Frost tolerance for thunbergia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since thunbergia require warm weather it is important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant thunbergia 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 thunbergia and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your thunbergia may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your thunbergia indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Des Moines. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Des Moines is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Des Moines it frosts late in the year after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your thunbergia in the event of one of those late frosts.

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.