One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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 Alton you can determine when it's the best time to plant flowering maple by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Flowering Maple

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

Since flowering maple are not cold tolerant you have to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant flowering maple in Alton 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 flowering maple and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your flowering maple may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your flowering maple indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Alton. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Alton and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Alton there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your flowering maple if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Alton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Alton

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