When to plant in Benton, IL
Planting dates worked out from Benton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 8
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 21
1 year in 10 by Oct 12
Frost-free days
194
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Benton 2 N · 4.1 km away · station 136 m, town 144 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 4 – Feb 11 | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 20 |
| Peas | — | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | May 1 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 2 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 19 – Apr 30 | May 18 |
| Beet | — | Mar 19 – Apr 30 | May 8 |
| Potato | — | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | May 28 |
| Kale | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 26 |
| Broccoli | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Mar 11 – Apr 1 | May 10 |
| Cucumber | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 4 |
| Winter squash | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 11 – Apr 1 | Jun 9 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 7 – Nov 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | Apr 14 |
| Basil | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 16 |
Benton's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Mar 25 |
| 1988 | Apr 19 |
| 1989 | Apr 12 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | Apr 7 |
| 1995 | Apr 5 |
| 1996 | Apr 10 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 5 |
| 1999 | Mar 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 9 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 5 |
| 2004 | Apr 5 |
| 2005 | Mar 20 |
| 2006 | Mar 27 |
| 2007 | Apr 13 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 190 |
| 1991 | 189 |
| 1992 | 173 |
| 1993 | 182 |
| 1994 | 201 |
| 1995 | 202 |
| 1996 | 191 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 200 |
| 1999 | 210 |
| 2000 | 183 |
| 2001 | 181 |
| 2004 | 194 |
| 2005 | 219 |
| 2006 | 199 |
| 2007 | 198 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 21.4 °C |
| 1988 | 21.2 °C |
| 1989 | 20.4 °C |
| 1991 | 22.5 °C |
| 1992 | 20.2 °C |
| 1993 | 20.4 °C |
| 1994 | 20.8 °C |
| 1995 | 21.2 °C |
| 1996 | 20.5 °C |
| 1997 | 20.0 °C |
| 1998 | 22.1 °C |
| 1999 | 21.7 °C |
| 2000 | 21.1 °C |
| 2001 | 21.8 °C |
| 2002 | 22.4 °C |
| 2003 | 20.8 °C |
| 2005 | 21.8 °C |
| 2006 | 21.3 °C |
| 2007 | 21.7 °C |
| 2008 | 20.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Benton 2 N (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.