One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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.

In South Elgin you can estimate when to plant coreopsis by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Coreopsis

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

Since coreopsis are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant coreopsis in South Elgin 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 coreopsis and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your coreopsis may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your coreopsis indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in South Elgin. 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 South Elgin may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in South Elgin there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your coreopsis in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for South Elgin

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 South Elgin

You may be interested in your other planting guides for South Elgin.