One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate 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 first chance to plant helianthemum in Zone 4a can be estimated by looking at the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Helianthemum

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

Helianthemum do well in moderate cold which means that you can start planting them earlier than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant helianthemum in Zone 4a is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant helianthemum and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your helianthemum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your helianthemum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 4a the average date of last frost happens on May 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -30°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 4a is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Zone 4a it frosts late in the year after May 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your helianthemum if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 4a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-30°F
Highest Expected Low	-25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -30°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -25°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 4a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 4a.