Goebbert’s Planting GuideChicago & Chicagoland Suburbs Planting Calendar
A customer from Schaumburg pulled into our garden center on April 18 last spring with a truck full of tomato plants. It was 78 degrees that day. Ryan stopped him before he checked out, told him to wait until Memorial Day, and saved his entire harvest from the May 9 frost that followed.
Knowing the right Chicago planting calendar for our area saves money, time, and dead plants. Here is when to plant what, from spring flowers through fall vegetables.
First things first: What Planting Zone Are We In?
Here is where most generic planting guides get it wrong. The 2023 USDA hardiness zone update shifted the Chicago area, but not uniformly. Chicago proper actually sits in zone 6a thanks to the moderating influence of Lake Michigan plus urban heat from millions of buildings and pavement. The further northwest you go from the lake, the colder it gets.
Quick Zone Map
Zone 6a (-5°F to -10°F) Chicago, lakefront suburbs
Zone 5b (-10°F to -15°F) Barrington, South Barrington, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Algonquin
Zone 5a (-15°F to -20°F) Rural pockets further out from the metro
Why does this matter? Because frost timing follows the zone. Lake-effect warming pushes Chicago city’s last spring frost a week or two earlier than ours out in the suburbs. That seemingly small difference matters when you are timing tomato transplants or perennial divisions.
Month by month, Spring Planting Calendar
Here is the breakdown of what goes outside when in our spring Chicago planting calendar.
| Month | Plant Outdoors | Start Indoors |
|---|---|---|
| Late March | Garden cleanup, soil prep, prune dormant shrubs | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant |
| Early April | Peas, spinach, lettuce, pansies, onion sets | Basil, summer flowers |
| Mid-April | Hardy perennials: sedum, coral bells, astilbe | Continue indoor starts |
| Late April | Potatoes, broccoli starts, kale, cool-season annuals | Squash, melons, cucumbers |
| Mid-May | Warm-season annuals (after May 15) | : |
| Memorial Day ★ | Tomatoes, peppers, basil, tropical containers | : |
| Early June | Last warm-season plantings, summer vegetables | Fall lettuce, brassicas |
Ryan’s Pick: Soil Thermometer
Veggie gardeners listen up. When to Plant Vegetables in the Suburbs
Vegetables follow different rules than flowers, and customers ask us about veggie timing constantly. The big difference is that soil temperature matters more than the calendar. A warm-looking April day means nothing if the soil six inches down is still 45 degrees. Your tomato transplants will just sit there sulking.
Come see us!We’ll Help You Plant the Right Thing at the Right Time
Family-owned and rooted in South Barrington since 1948. Our staff knows what actually grows out here in the suburbs: stop by and let us help you build a season that works.