When to Plant Thyme in Zone 2b

Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's possible to estimate when it's a good idea to plant thyme by referring to the USDA zone info for Zone 2b.


Planting Calendar for Thyme

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

Thyme are one of those plants that can tolerate quite a bit of cold weather which means that you can plant them a quite a bit earlier than other frost tender plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant thyme
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant thyme
Probably not a good time to plant thyme

The earliest that you can plant thyme in Zone 2b 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 thyme and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your thyme may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your thyme indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 2b the average date of last frost happens on May 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -45°F in the coldest months of winter.

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

USDA Zone Info for Zone 2b

Here is the info for USDA Zone 2b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)August 15
Lowest Expected Low-45°F
Highest Expected Low-40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -45°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -40°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 2b

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