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 Machesney Park you can estimate when you can plant pincushion flower by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Pincushion Flower

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

Pincushion Flower are moderately cold tolerant which tells us that you can start planting them earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant pincushion flower in Machesney Park 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 pincushion flower and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your pincushion flower may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your pincushion flower indoors.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Machesney Park is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Machesney Park last frost occurs after April 15 so always be ready to cover your pincushion flower if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Machesney Park

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 Machesney Park

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