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.

In Pinckneyville you can determine when to plant basil by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Basil

Frost tolerance for basil:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant basil until after the last frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant basil in Pinckneyville 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 basil and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your basil may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your basil indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Pinckneyville. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -5°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Pinckneyville is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Pinckneyville you get a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your basil in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Pinckneyville

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

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

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

Plants to Grow in Pinckneyville

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