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.

In Shenandoah you can determine when to plant achimenes by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Achimenes

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

You really shouldn't plant achimenes until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant achimenes in Shenandoah 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 achimenes and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your achimenes may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your achimenes 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 Shenandoah. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Shenandoah may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Shenandoah you get a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your achimenes if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Shenandoah

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 Shenandoah

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