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.

In Iowa City you can estimate when it's the best time to plant purple bell vines by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Purple Bell Vines

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

You can plant purple bell vines slightly earlier in the year because they do ok in moderate cold.

The earliest that you can plant purple bell vines in Iowa City 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 purple bell vines and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your purple bell vines may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your purple bell vines indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Iowa City. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Iowa City may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Iowa City there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your purple bell vines in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Iowa City

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 Iowa City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Iowa City.