In the garden now (2 November 2026)
Chicago planting calendar
Bars show when each crop can go in and when a planting from that window is ready. The blue band is the frost season, from the average first autumn frost to the average last spring frost. Hover or tap a crop for details.
Sow indoorsSow or plant outdoorsHarvestFrost seasonToday
Swipe sideways to see the whole year →
Dates by crop
| Crop | Sow indoors | Sow / plant outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 23 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Aug 2 plant out | Jul 18 – Oct 16 |
| Pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 23 | May 28 – Jul 29 plant out | Jul 27 – Oct 16 |
| Eggplant (aubergine) | Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Jun 3 – Jul 26 plant out | Aug 3 – Oct 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 25 – May 22 | May 23 – Aug 12 sow | Jul 10 – Oct 16 |
| Zucchini (courgette) | Apr 20 – May 17 | May 18 – Aug 16 sow | Jul 4 – Oct 16 |
| Pumpkin and winter squash | Apr 20 – May 17 | May 18 – Jul 16 sow | Aug 8 – Oct 29 |
| Watermelon | May 6 – Jun 2 | Jun 3 – Jul 25 sow | Aug 7 – Oct 16 |
| Sweet corn | – | May 7 – Jul 28 sow | Jul 21 – Oct 16 |
| Green beans | – | May 18 – Aug 12 sow | Jul 8 – Oct 16 |
| Peas | – | Apr 1 – Apr 25, Aug 6 – Aug 30 sow | Jun 14 – Jul 19, Sep 24 – Nov 7 |
| Lettuce | Feb 20 – Mar 20 | Mar 27 – May 18, Jul 25 – Sep 10 sow | Jun 2 – Jul 23, Aug 31 – Nov 10 |
| Spinach | – | Mar 21 – May 12, Aug 25 – Sep 14 sow | May 29 – Jul 15, Sep 29 – Nov 30 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Mar 20 | Mar 27 – Sep 3 sow | Jun 10 – Dec 15 |
| Cabbage | Feb 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 6 – Aug 23 plant out | Jun 22 – Nov 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 6 – Aug 30 plant out | Jun 15 – Nov 14 |
| Carrots | – | Apr 6 – Aug 27 sow | Jun 19 – Dec 15 |
| Beets (beetroot) | – | Apr 6 – Sep 3 sow | Jun 11 – Nov 21 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 27 – Jun 3, Aug 8 – Sep 28 sow | May 14 – Jul 7, Aug 29 – Nov 14 |
| Onions | Jan 21 – Feb 25 | Apr 1 – Aug 2 plant out | Jul 10 – Oct 31 |
| Garlic | – | Oct 9 – Nov 12 sow | Jun 6 – Jun 26 |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 11 – Aug 6 sow | Jul 9 – Oct 31 |
| Swiss chard | – | Apr 11 – Sep 7 sow | Jun 9 – Nov 21 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – May 14 | May 28 – Aug 31 plant out | Jun 25 – Oct 16 |
| Cilantro (coriander) | – | Apr 6 – May 26, Jul 31 – Sep 18 sow | May 27 – Jul 22, Aug 30 – Nov 14 |
| Parsley | Feb 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 11 – Aug 23 sow | Jun 24 – Nov 30 |
Dates are for a typical year and the middle of the window is the safest. Sow a little at a time across a window rather than all at once. Cold snaps, heat waves, frost pockets and city warmth all shift the real dates; watch the forecast.
Frost dates in Chicago
- Average last spring frost
- April 11
- Late frost (1 year in 10)
- April 27
- Average first autumn frost
- October 31
- Early frost (1 year in 10)
- October 20
- Frost-free growing season
- 202 days
“Average” is the date with an even chance of a later (spring) or earlier (autumn) frost: a night at or below 0 °C (32 °F) at screen height. Tender crops go out a week or two after the spring date, which brings the risk down to about one year in ten.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Chicago Midway Ap (15 km from the city centre).
Climate at a glance
- Hardiness zone
- 6a from station records
- Average coldest winter night
- -21°C-6°F
- Warmest month
- July, highs 29°C83°F
- Coldest month
- January, lows -8°C18°F
- Crops with an outdoor window
- 25 of 25
The zone follows the USDA scheme: bands of the average lowest temperature of the year, 10 °F wide, split into a and b halves. Worked out from the coldest night of each year 1991–2020 at the NOAA station. It tells you which perennials survive winter, not when to sow.
Temperature and rain by month
Average highAverage lowRainFreezing point
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C33°F | -8°C18°F | -4°C26°F | 53 mm2.1 in |
| February | 3°C37°F | -6°C22°F | -2°C29°F | 47 mm1.9 in |
| March | 8°C47°F | -1°C30°F | 4°C38°F | 61 mm2.4 in |
| April | 15°C59°F | 4°C39°F | 10°C49°F | 113 mm4.5 in |
| May | 21°C70°F | 9°C49°F | 15°C60°F | 113 mm4.5 in |
| June | 26°C79°F | 15°C58°F | 20°C69°F | 111 mm4.4 in |
| July | 29°C83°F | 18°C64°F | 23°C73°F | 91 mm3.6 in |
| August | 28°C82°F | 17°C63°F | 22°C72°F | 106 mm4.2 in |
| September | 24°C76°F | 13°C56°F | 19°C66°F | 81 mm3.2 in |
| October | 18°C64°F | 7°C44°F | 12°C54°F | 79 mm3.1 in |
| November | 9°C49°F | 1°C33°F | 5°C41°F | 72 mm2.8 in |
| December | 3°C37°F | -5°C23°F | -1°C30°F | 58 mm2.3 in |
Monthly averages 1991–2020 from TerraClimate (about 4 km grid).