One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

A way of determining when it's the best time to plant mimulus is to refer to the USDA zone info for Mount Vernon.

Planting Calendar for Mimulus

Frost tolerance for mimulus:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You really shouldn't plant mimulus until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant mimulus in Mount Vernon 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 mimulus and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your mimulus may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your mimulus indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Mount Vernon. It might get as low as 0°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Mount Vernon may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Mount Vernon there is a last frost after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your mimulus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Mount Vernon

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 Mount Vernon

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Mount Vernon.