One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out 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.

One way of getting a good idea when to plant thyme is to use the USDA zone info for Old Forge.

Planting Calendar for Thyme

Frost tolerance for thyme:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since thyme do well in cold you can plant them much earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant thyme in Old Forge is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant thyme and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your thyme may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your thyme indoors.

Last Frost Date

In Old Forge the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -5°F.

Remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Old Forge and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Old Forge you get a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your thyme if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Old Forge

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

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

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

Plants to Grow in Old Forge

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Old Forge.