Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Island Lake you should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant tall phlox.

Planting Calendar for Tall Phlox

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

You can plant tall phlox a little bit earlier in the year because they are moderately cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant tall phlox in Island Lake 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 tall phlox and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your tall phlox may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your tall phlox indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on April 15 in Island Lake. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Island Lake is just an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Island Lake you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your tall phlox if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Island Lake

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 Island Lake

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Island Lake.