When to Plant Pyrethrum in Sterling, IL

Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine 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.

The USDA zone info for Sterling can be looked at to estimate when it's possible to plant pyrethrum.


Planting Calendar for Pyrethrum

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

Pyrethrum do well in mild cold which tells us that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant pyrethrum
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant pyrethrum
Probably not a good time to plant pyrethrum

The earliest that you can plant pyrethrum in Sterling 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. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your pyrethrum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your pyrethrum indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Sterling the average date of last frost happens on April 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Sterling and it will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Sterling you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your pyrethrum in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Sterling

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 Sterling

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