One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Pigeon Forge you can estimate when it's the best time to plant rudbeckia by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Rudbeckia

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

Rudbeckia tend to make it in some cold which tells us that you can plant them a little bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant rudbeckia in Pigeon Forge 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 rudbeckia and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your rudbeckia may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your rudbeckia 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 Pigeon Forge. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Pigeon Forge is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Pigeon Forge you get a frost after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your rudbeckia in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Pigeon Forge

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 Pigeon Forge

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Pigeon Forge.