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

The first opportunity to plant zucchini in Marshalltown can be determined by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Zucchini

Frost tolerance for zucchini:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

It's probably a bad idea to plant zucchini until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant zucchini in Marshalltown 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 zucchini and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your zucchini may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your zucchini indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Marshalltown may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Marshalltown you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your zucchini if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Marshalltown

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 Marshalltown

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