One of the first steps you take when you are determining 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.

It's a good idea to determine when you can plant heliotrope by reviewing the USDA zone info for Ripon.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

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

Since heliotrope do not do well in cold weather it is necessary to wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope 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 heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your heliotrope may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your heliotrope indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Ripon is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Ripon you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your heliotrope if you have a 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.