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 looking at the USDA zone info for Agawam it's possible to figure out when it's possible to plant artichokes.

Planting Calendar for Artichokes

Frost tolerance for artichokes:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Artichokes do well in moderate cold which tells us that you can start planting them earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant artichokes in Agawam is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant artichokes and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your artichokes may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your artichokes indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Agawam. You can expect an average low temperature of -10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Agawam is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Agawam you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your artichokes in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Agawam

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 Agawam

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