One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The best time to plant basil in Sioux Falls should be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Basil

Frost tolerance for basil:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since basil require warm weather it is necessary to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant basil in Sioux Falls is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant basil and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your basil may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your basil indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on May 15 in Sioux Falls. You can expect an average low temperature of -25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Sioux Falls is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Sioux Falls there is a last frost after May 15 be ready to cover your basil in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Sioux Falls

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 Sioux Falls

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Sioux Falls.