The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Salem you can determine when it's the best time to plant alternanthera by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Alternanthera

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

Since alternanthera do not do well in cold weather it is necessary to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

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

Last Frost Date

On average all chance of frost has passed is on March 15 in Salem. You should expect an average low temperature of 15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Salem may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Salem there is a last frost after March 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your alternanthera in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Salem

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 Salem

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