When do you start planting in the spring?

[Chris_W]

Hi,

I was wondering, for the different zones, what time in the spring do you start planting perennials in your garden?

For me: Zone 5(b), I start digging in the dirt around late March but really don't start planting until the ground has dried a bit, usually some time in April. In reality I've done outdoor perennial planting in every month except February

I know quite a few people around here that won't plant anything until after the last frost date (mid May here in the southeast of Michigan) and others who won't plant until Memorial Day. Do you believe that thinking is just a holdover from the days when annuals and vegetables were the most people were planting?

But would you be able to help me put together a list of approximate planting times for different zones/regions, if possible, to help us know when to schedule ship dates for people? I get tons of requests to ship "at the appropriate time for my zone", but I've only gardened in one zone... And because people's thinking on what is the appropriate time can vary so much when someone says that I have no idea if I should ship when I would plant or ship when they think they should plant...

Hope that all makes sense.

TIA,

Chris

[Dee]

Well, in my zone 5 Indy area I will plant in early-mid April, depending on the plant. I will plant shrubs, trees and some really really hardy perennials then, but nothing more delicate until at least the first of May. I just watch the weather and go from there. Of course, this doesn't really help you since we are the same zone (maybe I am 5b and you are 5a )

[Chris_W]

Thanks Dee! No, it does help, since I also have a hard time remembering which zones are in what areas

[LucyGoose]

I think I plant in May.... You expect me to remember? ;lol: I have to go look at old invoices to see what time I have them shipped.....

[caliloo]

I expect to get the first spring flyer from my favorite nursery in the next few weeks. The owner has a great sense of humor and always writes something witty about taking advantage of the pre-pre-season sales and that yes he has plants ready to go and they are fint to start planting from early March on.

Unfortunately, it is usually too wet IMHO to do much planting yet, but I do go buy some that I keep in a sheltered spot until the ground dries a bit.

BTW - he mentioned to me that his nursery is on the list of gardens/nurseries to tour in June of 2006 when the National is here in Philly. I know he is bringing in a lot of really special hostas just for that event

Alexa

[janet]

Things here are a bit complicated by elevation, bodies of water, forests, etc. As a result of all that, I'm in zone 4 (surrounded by zone 5) and plant perennials no earlier than the last week of May. Our frost dates are roughly 5/30 and 9/18, so if something is quite tender, I will wait until mid-June to plant. Many of the nurseries here don't even open full-time until Memorial Day Weekend (big box stores don't count). Spring is usually wet, but the soil has little clay and dries out quickly once the frost is out of it. Last year I requested shipping the week of May 17th and it worked out very well (except it rained for a week right after everything got here ). Hope that helps.

[impatience]

Not too many of us down this way-zone 7. Our last average freeze date is April 15. I plant beginning March-by June 1 it is really too hot for many things without lots of supplemental water.

Janet-Memorial Day?????? Wow! The water skiing season is well underway here and the temps are getting really hot! Oh well, hostas do better up there!

[DryGulch]

I lived in the Chicago NW suburbs for about 15 years and a lot of times I moved plants around, divided them after the 3rd week in March, it always depends on how wet the spring is. I once dug a pond with a shovel mid-February. I think officially that is zone 5a.

I now live in central Wisconsin, on sandy loam soil. I grew up here and old farmer wisdon has it that the frost is out of the ground by the third week in March. However, 2 out of the last four years the ground was frozen until after the first week of April! Officially, this is zone 4a, but other than the late start, it seems more like 5b...we are on the line here. My sister-in-law 20 miles NE is definitely 4a. I usually start digging ang moving 4/15.

I know that in 2001 I had early tulips in bloom at the NW Chicago suburb house and 3 feet of snow still on the the very frozen ground here in central WI on April 4th.

[doublemom2]

Here in the Pac Northwest, zone 8, I plant literally any time of the year, unless it's a tender annual. But keep in mind, our zone 8 here in the maritiime NW is much different than any other zone 8's in the U.S. We just have such a different climate here than anywhere else. So I'd say for the northwest for perennials, any time would be fine to plant beginning in March to be safe.

Andi

[Old earth dog]

Dern (lucky) PNW folks braggin again!
Last frost is April 15. Anytime I can work the (dry) soil after that. Diggin in moist soil does nothing but compact the soil. Tomatoes are always on the first full moon in May.......cause grandpa said so. Tomatoes, being tropicals, will just sit, and possibly rot in cold soil.

[oldcoot]

Heard yesterday that here in Zone 7b our last frost day is April 1. My MOTHER always said don't plant anything until Good Friday or when the gound was warm to the touch. Last year I planted a lot of things I got in mid March that bloomed beautifully, of couse we had 80* weather by then. This year I am shooting for the 1st two weeks in April. It's still COLD down here (to me). Only Daffodills Anemonae, and Hyacinths up so far... See lots of tulips plants, but no blooms yet.

Hope that helps a little.................

That FUNNY and VERY FRIENDLY Old Coot named John, REALLY looking forward to SPRING in just 6 more days

[insam]

Chris, for me it depends on the plant and whether they are greenhouse grown, but generally most of my activity begins in late March. Mid April is probably a safe bet for most things, but since 50% of my garden is devoted to hellebores and another 25% or so is native woodland wildflowers, the dates can be considerably earlier with those plants. Of course many perennials are mostly dormant until after last frost so it doesn't matter much, but plants like Tricyrtis and Pulmonaria, etc... must be a little later because they can be more easily damaged by late frosts. I would think that if you are shipping from zone 5 that in most cases you shouldn't have any problems shipping anything from mid April on to the mid-upper South.
A more challenging problem in shipping to the South would be July-August. That is the time when planting can be dangerous in our zones. Late frosts in the South mainly cause temporary cosmetic issues, but improper after care in summer can easily be fatal.

[BillyB]

April 15th is my target date. But it doesn't hurt to wait until the 1st of May. Sometimes we get a late frost, but it fewer and far between each year.

[rosemarie]

Like Andi, I live in the PNW and this year all the rules went out the window. We have had almost Summer weather for 3 or 4 weeks. I have been working in our trees and have things coming up all over the place. Lew has stated watering and cutting the lawn already. I have a Rhodie garden at the end of out trees and they are getting tall, so I trimmed them up and now I have more room for my shade garden. The camellias are all blooming and I am so jazzed.

[ladyblue]

Mothers Day is a safe time for me. Every year I try to start earlier with annuals and lose them,also hanging baskets. Things like sweet potato plants really hate cold weather. I've even lost them in the garage in early May. Perennials are ok from Mothers Day on.
Bonnie

[Roxanne]

Chris, I usually have the majority of my Hostas shipped between April 25--through May. Same with perennials. Annuals I wait until Mid-May to plant. A few years ago, I bought 2 flats of annuals--not cheap ones, either, and planted the last week of April. We got a late frost, and the ones that weren't killed were set back so bad I decided never again.

[kHT]

I'm with the rest of the PNW folks, the last date of frost is the 15th of April for here. Ya know we don't pay any attention to that date. I have over half the brugmansia back in the ground as of today! Only the gallon and smaller pots will go out in a week or two. Boy does it look nice now, I don't do bare!

[GrannyNanny]

I am in a suburb of St. Paul MN (northern edge), and our zone is officially 4a. However, most of my front yard garden is probably 5, since it faces south, and is protected by the house, part of which has a brick wall. I usually can plant perennials out after May first, but often have to run out to cover new ones, if they're really leafed out, if frost is predicted. I start hardening off my annuals and perennial seedlings on the back deck (faces north, so they're in the shade to start with)around the end of April, but I take them in at night until later into May. Phyllis

[Midnight Reiter Too]

I'm glad you informed us, Chris. I was always wondering why the stores have perennials in earlier than annuals. Can I plant my 'Lemon Queen' helianthus when it arrives the first week of April?

Chris, we plant annuals on Mother's day in "Michiana" (South Bend area). But one year everyone was doing it the weekend before (I guess they knew something I didn't know).

[Chris_W]

Can I plant my 'Lemon Queen' helianthus when it arrives the first week of April?

If the plants arrive dormant then yes, it would be safe to plant them outdoors then, provided the soil isn't too soggy. We are pretty frozen still so I don't want to plant here quite yet. Might be a few more weeks until the frost is out of the ground. Once it is you can be sure we'll be digging in the dirt!

If the plants have active, live growth then I would wait. Maybe pot them up and harden them off to the outdoors a little at a time, protecting them indoors when it freezes.