Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for South Plainfield it's a good idea to figure out when it's the best time to plant basil.

Planting Calendar for Basil

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

Since basil require warm weather it's necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in South Plainfield. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Since the USDA zone info for South Plainfield is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in South Plainfield you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your basil in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for South Plainfield

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 South Plainfield

You may be interested in your other planting guides for South Plainfield.