When to plant in Mattoon, IL
Planting dates worked out from Mattoon's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 3
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 15
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
184
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Mattoon Charleston Coles Co Ap · 8.7 km away · station 216 m, town 224 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 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 11 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 27 |
| Peas | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | May 11 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 24 |
| Beet | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 14 |
| Potato | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 3 |
| Kale | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 6 |
| Broccoli | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | May 17 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | Jun 16 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 4 – Nov 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | Apr 24 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Mattoon'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 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Apr 5 |
| 1999 | Mar 29 |
| 2000 | Apr 9 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 13 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 13 |
| 2008 | Apr 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | Mar 30 |
| 2011 | Mar 31 |
| 2012 | Apr 23 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 4 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 7 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 15 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 21 |
| 2022 | Apr 19 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 6 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 199 |
| 1999 | 202 |
| 2000 | 179 |
| 2001 | 181 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 171 |
| 2004 | 171 |
| 2005 | 176 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 198 |
| 2008 | 196 |
| 2009 | 181 |
| 2010 | 187 |
| 2011 | 204 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 184 |
| 2014 | 196 |
| 2015 | 195 |
| 2016 | 213 |
| 2017 | 204 |
| 2018 | 171 |
| 2019 | 198 |
| 2020 | 148 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 181 |
| 2023 | 188 |
| 2024 | 191 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 20.8 °C |
| 1999 | 20.3 °C |
| 2000 | 19.1 °C |
| 2001 | 20.1 °C |
| 2002 | 20.3 °C |
| 2003 | 19.2 °C |
| 2004 | 19.6 °C |
| 2005 | 20.7 °C |
| 2006 | 20.1 °C |
| 2007 | 20.5 °C |
| 2008 | 19.1 °C |
| 2009 | 18.9 °C |
| 2010 | 21.3 °C |
| 2011 | 20.4 °C |
| 2012 | 20.9 °C |
| 2013 | 19.5 °C |
| 2014 | 19.3 °C |
| 2015 | 20.2 °C |
| 2016 | 20.4 °C |
| 2017 | 20.3 °C |
| 2018 | 20.6 °C |
| 2019 | 20.5 °C |
| 2020 | 19.7 °C |
| 2021 | 20.4 °C |
| 2022 | 20.3 °C |
| 2023 | 20.0 °C |
| 2024 | 20.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Mattoon Charleston Coles Co Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.