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 looking at the USDA zone info for Manhattan you will be able to determine when to plant asparagus fern.

Planting Calendar for Asparagus Fern

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

It's probably not a good idea to plant asparagus fern until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant asparagus fern in Manhattan 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 asparagus fern and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your asparagus fern may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your asparagus fern indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Manhattan. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Manhattan and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Manhattan there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your asparagus fern if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Manhattan

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 Manhattan

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