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

The best time to plant carnation in Zone 1b should be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Carnation

Frost tolerance for carnation:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Carnation are very cold tolerant which tells us that you can plant them a quite a bit earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant carnation in Zone 1b 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 carnation and expect a good harvest is probably July. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your carnation may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your carnation indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 1b the average date of last frost happens on June 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -55°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 1b is just an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Zone 1b you get a frost after June 15 be ready to protect your carnation in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 1b

Here is the info for USDA Zone 1b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	June 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	July 15
Lowest Expected Low	-55°F
Highest Expected Low	-50°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -55°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -50°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 1b

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 1b.