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.

In Zone 2a you can estimate when it's the best time to plant hollyhocks by checking out the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Hollyhocks

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

Hollyhocks do well in some cold which means that you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant hollyhocks in Zone 2a 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 hollyhocks and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your hollyhocks may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your hollyhocks indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on May 15 in Zone 2a. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -50°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 2a is not always accurate the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Zone 2a you get surprised by a frost after May 15 be ready to protect your hollyhocks in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 2a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 2a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	August 15
Lowest Expected Low	-50°F
Highest Expected Low	-45°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -50°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -45°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 2a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 2a.