The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By checking out the USDA zone info for Portage you should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant copperleaf.

Planting Calendar for Copperleaf

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

It's probably not a good idea to plant copperleaf until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant copperleaf in Portage 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 copperleaf and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your copperleaf may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your copperleaf indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Portage the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Portage and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Portage you get a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your copperleaf if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Portage

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 Portage

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