One of the first steps you take when you are making a decision about your gardening schedule is find your 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.

The first chance to plant skullcap in Ripley can be figured out by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Skullcap

Frost tolerance for skullcap:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since skullcap are not cold tolerant it's necessary to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant skullcap in Ripley 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 skullcap and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your skullcap may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your skullcap indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on April 15 in Ripley. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 5°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Ripley is an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Ripley it frosts late in the year after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your skullcap if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ripley

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 Ripley

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