Do you want to grow helenium in Indiana, but don’t know when to plant them?
Planting helenium is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Helenium are not able to survive frost or cold weather under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you plant them outside too early in the spring they will die. And if you plant them too late, your helenium won’t produce a bloom.
Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to plant helenium in Indiana:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Helenium, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Plant Helenium in Indiana
As you may have already guessed, you need to pay very close attention to your local weather in the spring. Specifically, you are going to need to watch when the last frost occurs.
In general, when there hasn’t been a frost for two weeks, you are SAFE to plant your helenium outside in Indiana!
For your reference, I have created this table for average frost dates for most major cities in Indiana. If your city is not listed below you can find its Last & First Frost Dates HERE.
Indiana Last & First Frost Dates
Unfortunately, Mother Nature plays cruel tricks on us every year.
It should be noted that the above dates are just averages.
There are years when the last frost comes MUCH later. Sometimes, the last frost happens much earlier and you can get your helenium planted outside in Indiana much quicker.
Like I said before, you need to be very diligent in checking your local weather.
So what happens if a frost comes AFTER you plant your helenium?
When you know a frost is coming you need to take action.
- If helenium are in pots, bring them inside
- If helenium are in the ground, cover them in burlap and hope they survive
Also, make sure not to plant your helenium in your garden too late.
- Planting helenium too late will cause small blooms or even worse, no blooms.
When Should You Start Your Helenium Seeds Indoors?
Depending on the type of helenium, it takes roughly 10 to 21 days to grow helenium from seed indoors and then transplant them to your garden. And then another 3 months to bloom!
For a specific date that you should start helenium seeds indoors you should:
- Find the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 10 days from it
Not only this, but I recommend again paying close attention to your local weather report.
It should also be noted that the best technique for bringing your helenium plants outside is to introduce them (in their pots) outside for an hour. And then increase the amount of time they spend outside each day by an hour until they have been outside for 8 hours.
This will “harden” your helenium plant, increasing its chances of fighting off diseases, insects, droughts, and wet conditions.
If you want to learn WHEN to plant ANY Flower in Indiana, head over to HERE and just type in the flower you want to grow.
