The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine 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 USDA zone info for Des Moines can be reviewed to determine when you can plant trachelium.

Planting Calendar for Trachelium

Frost tolerance for trachelium:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

It's not a good idea to plant trachelium until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

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

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Des Moines. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Des Moines is not always accurate 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 make sure that you are ready to cover your trachelium 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.