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.

By using the USDA zone info for Athens it's a good idea to determine when it's the best time to plant erysimum.

Planting Calendar for Erysimum

Frost tolerance for erysimum:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

You can plant erysimum a bit earlier in the year because they are moderately cold tolerant.

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

The last month that you can plant erysimum and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your erysimum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your erysimum indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Athens the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Athens is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Athens there is a last frost after April 15 so always be ready to protect your erysimum in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Athens

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 Athens

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