One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule is the 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.

The USDA zone info for Black Mountain can be read to determine when it's the best time to plant cantaloupes.

Planting Calendar for Cantaloupes

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

You can not plant cantaloupes until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant cantaloupes in Black Mountain is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant cantaloupes and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your cantaloupes may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your cantaloupes indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Black Mountain. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Black Mountain and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Black Mountain you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your cantaloupes in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Black Mountain

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Black Mountain

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Black Mountain.