The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By checking out the USDA zone info for Champaign it's possible to figure out when it's a good idea to plant pyrethrum.

Planting Calendar for Pyrethrum

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

Pyrethrum do ok in mild cold which means that you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant pyrethrum in Champaign 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. Any later than that and your pyrethrum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your pyrethrum indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Champaign. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Champaign and it is different every year. Half of the time in Champaign you get a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your pyrethrum if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Champaign

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 Champaign

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