The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A common way of estimating when it's a good idea to plant perilla is to examine the USDA zone info for Grand Rapids.

Planting Calendar for Perilla

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

You really shouldn't plant perilla until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant perilla in Grand Rapids 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 perilla and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your perilla may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your perilla indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Grand Rapids. It might get as low as -35°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Grand Rapids is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Grand Rapids you get surprised by a frost after May 15 be ready to cover your perilla if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Grand Rapids

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 Grand Rapids

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Grand Rapids.