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.

In Michigan City you can estimate when to plant coleus by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Coleus

Frost tolerance for coleus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

Since coleus are not cold tolerant it's necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant coleus 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 coleus and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your coleus may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your coleus 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.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Michigan City may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Michigan City last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to protect your coleus in the event of a surprise 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.