One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about 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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Madison it's possible to estimate when to plant black radish.

Planting Calendar for Black radish

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

Black radish can survive in some 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 black radish 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 black radish and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your black radish may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your black radish indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Madison is just an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Madison there is a last frost after May 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your black radish 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.