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

You should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant black eyed susans by using the USDA zone info for Michigan City.

Planting Calendar for Black Eyed Susans

Frost tolerance for black eyed susans:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since black eyed susans require warm weather it is important to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Michigan City. It might get as low as -10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Michigan City is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Michigan City you get a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your black eyed susans if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Michigan City

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Michigan City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Michigan City.