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

By checking out the USDA zone info for Pittsburgh it's a good idea to determine when to plant heliotrope.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

Frost tolerance for heliotrope:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since heliotrope do not do well in cold weather you have to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope in Pittsburgh 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 heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your heliotrope may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your heliotrope indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Pittsburgh. You can expect an average low temperature of -5°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Pittsburgh is an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Pittsburgh you get a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your heliotrope in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Pittsburgh

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 Pittsburgh

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