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.

A common way of figuring out when it's a good idea to plant bishop's weed is to use the USDA zone info for Normal.

Planting Calendar for Bishop's Weed

Frost tolerance for bishop's weed:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Bishop's Weed tend to make it in cold weather which tells us that you can plant them much earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant bishop's weed in Normal 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 bishop's weed and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your bishop's weed may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your bishop's weed indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Normal the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Normal and it will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Normal it frosts late in the year after April 15 so always be ready to cover your bishop's weed in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Normal

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 Normal

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