One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the 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.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Elmhurst it's a good idea to determine when to plant salpiglossis.

Planting Calendar for Salpiglossis

Frost tolerance for salpiglossis:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since salpiglossis do not do well in cold weather you have to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant salpiglossis in Elmhurst 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 salpiglossis and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your salpiglossis may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your salpiglossis indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Elmhurst is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Elmhurst there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your salpiglossis in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Elmhurst

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 Elmhurst

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