The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate 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.

The first chance to plant bells of ireland in Portsmouth can be figured out by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Bells of Ireland

Frost tolerance for bells of ireland:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Bells of Ireland do ok in moderate cold which tells us that you can start planting them slightly earlier than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant bells of ireland in Portsmouth is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant bells of ireland and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your bells of ireland may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your bells of ireland indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Portsmouth. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Portsmouth is not always accurate the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Portsmouth there is a last frost after March 15 so always be ready to protect your bells of ireland in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Portsmouth

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Portsmouth

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