The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to estimate when it's a good idea to plant rock cress by referring to the USDA zone info for Monticello.

Planting Calendar for Rock Cress

Frost tolerance for rock cress:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since rock cress are very cold tolerant you can plant them earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant rock cress in Monticello 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 rock cress and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your rock cress may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your rock cress 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 Monticello. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Monticello is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Monticello you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your rock cress if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Monticello

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 Monticello

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