One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

One way of making a decision about when to plant tomatos is to check out the USDA zone info for Devils Lake.

Planting Calendar for Tomatos

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

Since tomatos do not do well in cold weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant tomatos in Devils Lake is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant tomatos and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your tomatos may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your tomatos indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Devils Lake the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -30°F.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Devils Lake and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Devils Lake last frost occurs after May 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your tomatos if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Devils Lake

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Devils Lake

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Devils Lake.