Planting windows for Chicago
Computed from Chicago's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-6 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 1 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 10 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 |
| 🌿 Basil | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Apr 24 – May 1 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Sep 24 – Oct 22 |
Want this for all 50 crops, or as a printable seed-shelf schedule? Use the planting calendar and the seed starting scheduler — both can use Chicago's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Chicago
With roughly 209 frost-free days, Chicago gardens fit long-season crops — melons, winter squash, sweet potatoes — with room left for spring and fall rounds of greens and roots. The first frost around Nov 5 is late enough that fall planting is a full second season, not an afterthought.