Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. 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 oleander by reviewing the USDA zone info for Merrill.

Planting Calendar for Oleander

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

You really shouldn't plant oleander until after all chance of frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant oleander 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 oleander and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your oleander may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your oleander indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Merrill and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Merrill it frosts late in the year after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your oleander 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.