One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

The first chance to plant pyrethrum in Pittsfield can be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Pyrethrum

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

You can plant pyrethrum 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 pyrethrum in Pittsfield 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 pyrethrum and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your pyrethrum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your pyrethrum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Pittsfield. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Pittsfield and it will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Pittsfield last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to protect your pyrethrum in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Pittsfield

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 Pittsfield

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