Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Benton Harbor you can determine when to plant alternaria by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Alternaria

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

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

The earliest that you can plant alternaria in Benton Harbor 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 alternaria and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your alternaria may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your alternaria indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Benton Harbor. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -5°F.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Benton Harbor and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in Benton Harbor there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your alternaria if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Benton Harbor

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Benton Harbor

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Benton Harbor.