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

A way of getting a good idea when it's a good idea to plant banana is to consult the USDA zone info for Marlin.

Planting Calendar for Banana

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

Since banana do not do well in cold weather you really should wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant banana in Marlin 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 banana and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your banana may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your banana indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Marlin. You should expect an average low temperature of 15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Marlin is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Marlin there is a last frost after March 15 be ready to cover your banana in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Marlin

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	15°F
Highest Expected Low	20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 20°F.

Plants to Grow in Marlin

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