When to Plant Salsify in Dubuque, IA

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out 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 opportunity to plant salsify in Dubuque should be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Salsify

Frost tolerance for salsify: Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant: Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Salsify are one of those plants that can tolerate a tiny bit of cold weather which means that you can start planting them slightly earlier than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

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

The earliest that you can plant salsify in Dubuque is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant salsify and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your salsify may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your salsify indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Dubuque the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You should expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Dubuque and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Dubuque you get a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your salsify if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Dubuque

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 Dubuque

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Dubuque.