Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Rapid City you can estimate when you can plant rhubarb by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Rhubarb

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

Since rhubarb do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant rhubarb in Rapid City 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 rhubarb and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your rhubarb may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your rhubarb indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Rapid City. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Rapid City is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Rapid City last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to cover your rhubarb if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Rapid City

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-20°F
Highest Expected Low	-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Rapid City

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Rapid City.