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.

One way of determining when to plant tropical water plants is to examine the USDA zone info for Metropolis.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Water Plants

Frost tolerance for tropical water plants:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's probably a bad idea to plant tropical water plants until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant tropical water plants in Metropolis 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 tropical water plants and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your tropical water plants may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your tropical water plants indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Metropolis. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Metropolis may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Metropolis you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your tropical water plants in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Metropolis

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Metropolis

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