One of the first steps you take when you are estimating 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.

In Fort Mill you can determine when it's a good idea to plant rudbeckia by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Rudbeckia

Frost tolerance for rudbeckia:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Rudbeckia tend to make it in a little bit of cold which means that you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant rudbeckia in Fort Mill 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 rudbeckia and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your rudbeckia may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your rudbeckia indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Fort Mill. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Fort Mill may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Fort Mill it frosts late in the year after March 15 be ready to cover your rudbeckia in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fort Mill

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Fort Mill

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Fort Mill.