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.

A way of getting a good idea when it's the best time to plant coleus is to check out the USDA zone info for Forest Park.

Planting Calendar for Coleus

Frost tolerance for coleus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since coleus are not cold tolerant it is important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant coleus in Forest Park 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 coleus and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your coleus may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your coleus indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Forest Park. It might get as low as -10°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Forest Park is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Forest Park you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so always be ready to protect your coleus if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Forest Park

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 Forest Park

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Forest Park.