What to Plant in Illinois in June
June is the month Illinois gardens hit full stride. By now the state’s last frost window (April 11 to April 22 at the Chicago reference station) is well…
Gardening in Illinois
Everything we have worked out for Illinois: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Chicago, the last spring freeze runs April 11 to April 22 and the first fall freeze runs October 24 to November 3, USDA zones 5a-7b, 3,274 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Illinois: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
What to Plant in Illinois in July
July in Illinois means the frost windows are irrelevant, not the crops. With the last spring frost long past (April 11 to April 22 at the reference…
What to Plant in Illinois in January
January in Illinois means frozen or semi-frozen ground across nearly the whole state, so nothing goes into open soil outdoors for most gardeners.
What to Plant in Illinois in February
In February, the honest answer for Illinois is that almost nothing goes into open ground.
What to Plant in Illinois in December
Across Illinois, from Chicago down to Cairo, December means frozen or freezing ground for most gardeners, and that closes the door on new open-ground…
What to Plant in Illinois in August
August in Illinois is a pivot point, not a pause. Direct-sow fast fall crops like beets, radishes, bush beans, and leafy greens while the soil is still…
What to Plant in Illinois in April
Early April in Illinois is a gamble month: cold-hardy crops can go into the ground now, but the state’s last spring frost typically falls between April…
When Does the Heating Season Start in Illinois?
Illinois homes start seeing real heating demand in October, when the normal mean temperature at Chicago O’Hare finally drops below the 65 F threshold…
Growing Peppers in Illinois: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
In Illinois, pepper fruit set runs into trouble at both ends of the thermometer.
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Illinois Season
Illinois gardeners can ripen a full pepper crop if they match variety maturity to the state’s frost-free window and start seed early enough indoors.