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.

A way of figuring out when you can plant erysimum is to refer to the USDA zone info for Bonne Terre.

Planting Calendar for Erysimum

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

Since erysimum are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant erysimum in Bonne Terre is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant erysimum and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your erysimum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your erysimum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Bonne Terre the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Bonne Terre is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Bonne Terre you get a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your erysimum in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Bonne Terre

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Bonne Terre

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Bonne Terre.