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.

A way of making a decision about when it's possible to plant strawflowers is to use the USDA zone info for Van Wert.

Planting Calendar for Strawflowers

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

Strawflowers do well in mild cold which means that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

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

Last Frost Date

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

Remember that USDA zone info for Van Wert is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Van Wert it frosts late in the year after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your strawflowers if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Van Wert

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 Van Wert

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Van Wert.