The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The best time to plant balsam in Wisconsin Rapids can be estimated by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Balsam

Frost tolerance for balsam:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant balsam until after the last frost because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant balsam in Wisconsin Rapids 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 balsam and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your balsam may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your balsam indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on May 15 in Wisconsin Rapids. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -25°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Wisconsin Rapids is not always accurate the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Wisconsin Rapids it frosts late in the year after May 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your balsam in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Wisconsin Rapids

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 Wisconsin Rapids

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Wisconsin Rapids.