The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

A common way of getting a good idea when to plant okra is to refer to the USDA zone info for Springfield.

Planting Calendar for Okra

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

It's not a good idea to plant okra until after all chance of frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant okra 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 okra and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your okra may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your okra indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Springfield. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Springfield is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Springfield last frost occurs after February 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your okra 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.