One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to estimate when it's a good idea to plant tall phlox by referring to the USDA zone info for Sweetwater.

Planting Calendar for Tall Phlox

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

Since tall phlox are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant tall phlox in Sweetwater 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 tall phlox and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your tall phlox may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your tall phlox indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Sweetwater the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as 5°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Sweetwater is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Sweetwater last frost occurs after April 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your tall phlox if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Sweetwater

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 Sweetwater

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