Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of figuring out when you can plant scarlet pimpernels is to look at the USDA zone info for Ottumwa.

Planting Calendar for Scarlet Pimpernels

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

You can plant scarlet pimpernels just a tiny bit earlier in the year because they do ok in moderate cold.

The earliest that you can plant scarlet pimpernels in Ottumwa 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 scarlet pimpernels and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your scarlet pimpernels may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your scarlet pimpernels indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Remember that USDA zone info for Ottumwa is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Ottumwa there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to protect your scarlet pimpernels if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ottumwa

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 Ottumwa

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