One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate 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 Marion can be read to figure out when it's a good idea to plant leeks.

Planting Calendar for Leeks

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

Since leeks do well in cold you can plant them much earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant leeks in Marion 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 leeks and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your leeks may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your leeks indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Marion. It might get as low as 5°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Marion may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Marion you get a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your leeks in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Marion

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7b.

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

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

Plants to Grow in Marion

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