One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Detroit Lakes it's a good idea to estimate when it's a good idea to plant okra.

Planting Calendar for Okra

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

You should not plant okra until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant okra in Detroit Lakes is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant okra and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your okra may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your okra 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 Detroit Lakes. You can expect an average low temperature of -35°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Detroit Lakes may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Detroit Lakes last frost occurs after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your okra in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Detroit Lakes

Here is the info for USDA Zone 3b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-35°F
Highest Expected Low	-30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -30°F.

Plants to Grow in Detroit Lakes

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Detroit Lakes.