One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Rockford it's a good idea to estimate when it's the best time to plant moon vine.

Planting Calendar for Moon Vine

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

Since moon vine do not do well in cold weather it is necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant moon vine in Rockford 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 moon vine and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your moon vine may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your moon vine indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Rockford. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in 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 Rockford and it will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Rockford last frost occurs after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your moon vine in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Rockford

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 Rockford

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