One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate 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.

The first chance to plant chives in Big Lake should be estimated by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chives

Frost tolerance for chives:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Chives do well in quite a bit of cold which means that you can plant them much earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant chives in Big Lake 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 chives and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your chives may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your chives indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Big Lake may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Big Lake last frost occurs after May 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your chives in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Big Lake

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 Big Lake

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Big Lake.