One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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 Monmouth you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant elephant ears by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Elephant Ears

Frost tolerance for elephant ears:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since elephant ears require warm weather it's necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant elephant ears in Monmouth 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 elephant ears and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your elephant ears may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your elephant ears indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Monmouth the average date of last frost happens on March 15. You can expect an average low temperature of 15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Monmouth is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Monmouth you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your elephant ears in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Monmouth

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°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 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Monmouth

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