The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

A common way of determining when it's the best time to plant heliotrope is to consult the USDA zone info for Nashville.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

Frost tolerance for heliotrope:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

It's not a good idea to plant heliotrope until after the last frost because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope in Nashville is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your heliotrope may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your heliotrope indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Nashville. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Nashville and it will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Nashville you get a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your heliotrope in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Nashville

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Nashville

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