One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Mitchell it's a good idea to determine when it's the best time to plant hardy asters.

Planting Calendar for Hardy Asters

Frost tolerance for hardy asters:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Hardy Asters do ok in very little cold which means that you can plant them slightly earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant hardy asters in Mitchell is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant hardy asters and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your hardy asters may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your hardy asters indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Mitchell the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Mitchell and it changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Mitchell you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your hardy asters in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Mitchell

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 Mitchell

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