Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You can determine when you can plant iberis in Ottawa by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Iberis

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

You can plant iberis just a bit earlier in the year because they are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather.

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

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Ottawa is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Ottawa last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to cover your iberis in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ottawa

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 Ottawa

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