Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By using the USDA zone info for Ripon it's possible to determine when it's the best time to plant alternanthera.

Planting Calendar for Alternanthera

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

Since alternanthera require warm weather it is important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

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

The last month that you can plant alternanthera and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your alternanthera may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your alternanthera indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Ripon. It might get as low as -20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Ripon is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Ripon you get a frost after April 15 be ready to protect your alternanthera in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ripon

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-20°F
Highest Expected Low	-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Ripon

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