One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your 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.

The first chance to plant black radish in Maquoketa can be determined by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Black radish

Frost tolerance for black radish:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Since black radish are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant black radish in Maquoketa is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant black radish and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your black radish may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your black radish indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Maquoketa. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Maquoketa may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Maquoketa you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your black radish if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Maquoketa

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 Maquoketa

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