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.

The USDA zone info for Zone 1b can be used to estimate when it's a good idea to plant kale.

Planting Calendar for Kale

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

Kale are one of those plants that can tolerate a little bit of cold weather which means that you can start planting them earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant kale 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 kale and expect a good harvest is probably July. Any later than that and your kale may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your kale 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. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -55°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 1b is just an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Zone 1b there is a last frost after June 15 be ready to protect your kale 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.