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

One way of determining when to plant black radish is to refer to the USDA zone info for West Salem.

Planting Calendar for Black radish

Frost tolerance for black radish:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Black radish do well in moderate cold which tells us that you can get them planted earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

Last Frost Date

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

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for West Salem and it changes from year to year. Since half of the time in West Salem you get a frost after May 15 be ready to cover your black radish if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for West Salem

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 West Salem

You may be interested in your other planting guides for West Salem.