One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about 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.

The first opportunity to plant erysimum in Austin can be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Erysimum

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

Erysimum are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather which tells us that you can plant them a little bit earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

The last month that you can plant erysimum and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your erysimum may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your erysimum indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Austin. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -25°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Austin and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Austin you get surprised by a frost after May 15 be ready to protect your erysimum in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Austin

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Austin

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