One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

In Eaton Rapids you can estimate when to plant mimulus by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Mimulus

Frost tolerance for mimulus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's probably not a good idea to plant mimulus until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

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

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Eaton Rapids. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Eaton Rapids is just an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Eaton Rapids last frost occurs after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your mimulus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Eaton Rapids

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 Eaton Rapids

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Eaton Rapids.