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.

One way of figuring out when it's a good idea to plant aubrieta is to look at the USDA zone info for Madison.

Planting Calendar for Aubrieta

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

Aubrieta 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 more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant aubrieta in Madison 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 aubrieta and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your aubrieta may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your aubrieta indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on May 15 in Madison. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Madison is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Madison there is a last frost after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your aubrieta in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Madison

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Madison

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