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

In Carmel you can figure out when it's possible to plant tropical water plants by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Water Plants

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

Since tropical water plants require warm weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant tropical water plants in Carmel 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 tropical water plants and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your tropical water plants may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your tropical water plants indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Carmel. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Carmel may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Carmel you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your tropical water plants in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Carmel

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 Carmel

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