One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine 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.

One way of figuring out when to plant jerusalem artichokes is to use the USDA zone info for Germantown.

Planting Calendar for Jerusalem artichokes

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

Jerusalem artichokes do well in moderate cold which means that you can start planting them earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant jerusalem artichokes in Germantown 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 jerusalem artichokes and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your jerusalem artichokes may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your jerusalem artichokes indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Germantown the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 5°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Germantown may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Germantown there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your jerusalem artichokes in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Germantown

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	5°F
Highest Expected Low	10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 10°F.

Plants to Grow in Germantown

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