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.

In Mankato you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant coreopsis by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Coreopsis

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

Since coreopsis do well in moderate cold you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant coreopsis in Mankato 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 coreopsis and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your coreopsis may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your coreopsis indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Mankato the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Mankato is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Mankato you get a frost after May 15 be ready to cover your coreopsis if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Mankato

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 Mankato

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