One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Detroit Lakes you should be able to estimate when to plant oleander.

Planting Calendar for Oleander

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

Oleander require warm weather which tells us that you need to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant oleander 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 oleander and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your oleander may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your oleander indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Detroit Lakes the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -35°F.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Detroit Lakes and it is different every year. Since half of the time in Detroit Lakes there is a last frost after May 15 be ready to protect your oleander if you have a 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.