Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. 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 determine when to plant artichokes by reviewing the USDA zone info for Mount Vernon.

Planting Calendar for Artichokes

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

Artichokes tend to make it in mild cold which tells us that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

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

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Mount Vernon. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Mount Vernon is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Mount Vernon you get a frost after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your artichokes if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Mount Vernon

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

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

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Mount Vernon

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