One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the 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 Springfield you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant impatiens by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Impatiens

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

It's probably a bad idea to plant impatiens until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant impatiens in Springfield 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 impatiens and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your impatiens may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your impatiens indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Springfield the average date of last frost happens on February 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 20°F.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost may not be accurate from year to year because it is based on the USDA zone info for Springfield and it changes from year to year. Half of the time in Springfield there is a last frost after February 15 so just be sure to be ready to protect your impatiens if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Springfield

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	20°F
Highest Expected Low	25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Springfield

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