One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about 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.

The USDA zone info for Jamestown can be read to figure out 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.

Cantaloupes are not cold tolerant which means that it is important to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant cantaloupes in Jamestown 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 really do well. Starting your cantaloupes indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Jamestown may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Jamestown there is a last frost after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your cantaloupes in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Jamestown

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

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

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Jamestown

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