The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine 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.

The USDA zone info for Mechanicsburg should be read to estimate when to plant alternanthera.

Planting Calendar for Alternanthera

Frost tolerance for alternanthera:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since alternanthera require warm weather you need to wait until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant alternanthera in Mechanicsburg 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. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your alternanthera may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your alternanthera indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Mechanicsburg. You can expect an average low temperature of 0°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Mechanicsburg is an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Mechanicsburg you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your alternanthera if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Mechanicsburg

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Mechanicsburg

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