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.

The first opportunity to plant astilbe in Heath should be determined by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Astilbe

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

Astilbe are barely cold tolerant which means that you can plant them slightly earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant astilbe in Heath 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 astilbe and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your astilbe may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your astilbe indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Heath the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Heath is just an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Heath last frost occurs after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your astilbe if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Heath

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 Heath

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