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.

A common way of making a decision about when it's a good idea to plant heliotrope is to check out the USDA zone info for Kokomo.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

Frost tolerance for heliotrope:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since heliotrope require warm weather it's important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope in Kokomo 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 heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your heliotrope may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your heliotrope indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Kokomo the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Kokomo is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Kokomo you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your heliotrope in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Kokomo

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 Kokomo

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