The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine 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 looking at the USDA zone info for South Bend you should be able to figure out when to plant tagetes.

Planting Calendar for Tagetes

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

You really shouldn't plant tagetes until after the last frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant tagetes in South Bend 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 tagetes and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your tagetes may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your tagetes indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in South Bend. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for South Bend is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in South Bend there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your tagetes in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for South Bend

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 South Bend

You may be interested in your other planting guides for South Bend.