Planting windows for Lisle-Morton Arboretum
Computed from Lisle-Morton Arboretum'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 | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 5 – May 12 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | May 12 – May 19 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Mar 31 – Apr 28 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Mar 17 – Mar 31 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 12 | May 5 – May 12 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 12 | May 5 – May 12 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | May 5 – May 12 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | May 5 – May 12 |
| 🌿 Basil | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 5 – May 12 | May 12 – May 19 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Sep 4 – Oct 2 |
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 Lisle-Morton Arboretum's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Lisle-Morton Arboretum
Roughly 171 frost-free days gives Lisle-Morton Arboretum gardeners room for nearly every common vegetable. Warm-season crops go out after Apr 28; a fall garden sown in late summer matures comfortably before the Oct 16 frost.