One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

In Hilliard you can estimate when you can plant balsam by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Balsam

Frost tolerance for balsam:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You can not plant balsam until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Hilliard. It might get as low as -10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Hilliard is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Hilliard you get a frost after April 15 so always be ready to protect your balsam if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Hilliard

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 Hilliard

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