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 fanflower in Merrill can be determined by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Fanflower

Frost tolerance for fanflower:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since fanflower do not do well in cold weather it is important to wait until after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant fanflower in Merrill is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant fanflower and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your fanflower may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your fanflower indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Merrill the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -30°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Merrill is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Merrill you get surprised by a frost after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your fanflower if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Merrill

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Merrill

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