One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out 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.

One way of estimating when it's a good idea to plant lithospermum is to check out the USDA zone info for Fort Madison.

Planting Calendar for Lithospermum

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

Since lithospermum require warm weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant lithospermum in Fort Madison 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 lithospermum and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your lithospermum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your lithospermum indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Fort Madison. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Fort Madison may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Fort Madison you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your lithospermum in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fort Madison

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 Fort Madison

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Fort Madison.