One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

The first chance to plant flowering kale in Melrose Park should be determined by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Flowering Kale

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

You can plant flowering kale a little earlier in the year because they do well in moderate cold.

The earliest that you can plant flowering kale in Melrose 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 flowering kale and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your flowering kale may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your flowering kale 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 Melrose Park. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Melrose Park is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Melrose Park you get a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your flowering kale in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Melrose 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 Melrose Park

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