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When to Plant Pyrethrum in West Des Moines, IA

One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

It's possible to estimate when it's a good idea to plant pyrethrum by reviewing the USDA zone info for West Des Moines.


Planting Calendar for Pyrethrum

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

Pyrethrum can survive in mild cold which tells us that you can plant them a little bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant pyrethrum
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant pyrethrum
Probably not a good time to plant pyrethrum

The earliest that you can plant pyrethrum in West Des Moines 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 pyrethrum and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your pyrethrum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your pyrethrum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in West Des Moines. You should expect an average low temperature of -20°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for West Des Moines and it changes from year to year. Since half of the time in West Des Moines it frosts late in the year after April 15 be ready to cover your pyrethrum if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for West Des Moines

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 West Des Moines

You may be interested in your other planting guides for West Des Moines.