Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Clinton you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant balsam by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Balsam

Frost tolerance for balsam:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

It's not a good idea to plant balsam until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant balsam in Clinton 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 balsam and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your balsam may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your balsam indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on March 15 in Clinton. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Clinton is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Clinton you get a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your balsam if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Clinton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°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 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Clinton

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