One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea 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 referring to the USDA zone info for Stow it's a good idea to estimate when it's possible to plant alyssum.

Planting Calendar for Alyssum

Frost tolerance for alyssum:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Alyssum are very cold tolerant which tells us that you can start planting them much earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant alyssum in Stow 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 alyssum and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your alyssum may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your alyssum indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Stow. It might get as low as -5°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Stow may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Stow you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your alyssum in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Stow

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Stow

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