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.

You will be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant peonies by reviewing the USDA zone info for Ashland.

Planting Calendar for Peonies

Frost tolerance for peonies:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Since peonies do ok in moderate cold you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant peonies in Ashland is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant peonies and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your peonies may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your peonies indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Ashland. You should expect an average low temperature of -10°F in the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Ashland may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Ashland last frost occurs after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your peonies if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Ashland

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

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

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

Plants to Grow in Ashland

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