Chicago Gardening Guide (2026)
Lake-effect; cold winters, hot summers.
USDA zone
6
Typical last frost
04/20
Typical first frost
10/20
Quick answer (Chicago): Gardeners here work in about a 183-day frost-free window around zone 6. State context: Illinois (zones 5–7). Start warm crops indoors ~6 weeks before the last frost of 04/20.
Your Chicago planting calendar
Pre-filled with Chicago's frost dates. Choose a crop to print your plan.
In Illinois (typical zone 5–7, last frost ≈ Apr 20, first frost ≈ Oct 20, 183-day season), your Tomato plan:
Start seeds indoors
Mar 9
Sow / transplant outdoors
May 4
First harvest
Jul 13
Spacing / depth
24″ / 0.25″
Month-by-month (Illinois, 2026)
| Month | Action |
|---|---|
| Jan | — |
| Feb | — |
| Mar | Start indoors |
| Apr | — |
| May | Sow · Transplant |
| Jun | — |
| Jul | Harvest |
| Aug | — |
| Sep | — |
| Oct | — |
| Nov | — |
| Dec | — |
Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost; transplant after soil warms. Zones 3–13 suitable. Dates are typical; confirm with your county extension and watch the 10-day forecast.