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.

A way of determining when it's possible to plant four o' clock is to examine the USDA zone info for Sterling Heights.

Planting Calendar for Four O' Clock

Frost tolerance for four o' clock:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant four o' clock until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant four o' clock in Sterling Heights 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 four o' clock and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your four o' clock may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your four o' clock 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 Sterling Heights. You can expect an average low temperature of -10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Sterling Heights is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Sterling Heights there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your four o' clock if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Sterling Heights

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 Sterling Heights

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Sterling Heights.