One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the 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 Madison you can figure out when to plant matricaria by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Matricaria

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

Matricaria tend to make it in some cold which tells us that you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant matricaria 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 matricaria and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your matricaria may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your matricaria indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Madison may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Madison last frost occurs after May 15 be ready to cover your matricaria in the event of one of those late frosts.

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.