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

In Mankato you can estimate when it's the best time to plant primula by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Primula

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

Primula 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 primula 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 primula and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your primula may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your primula indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Mankato. It might get as low as -25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Mankato is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Mankato there is a last frost after May 15 be ready to cover your primula in the event of 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.