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

In Altoona you can determine when you can plant larkspur by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Larkspur

Frost tolerance for larkspur:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Larkspur tend to make it in quite a bit of cold which means that you can plant them much earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

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

Last Frost Date

In Altoona the average date of last frost happens on May 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -25°F in the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Altoona and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Altoona you get a frost after May 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your larkspur in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Altoona

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Altoona

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