When to plant in Monticello, IL
Planting dates worked out from Monticello's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 6
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 10
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Champaign 9 Sw · 17.3 km away · station 213 m, town 201 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 11 – Mar 25 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 30 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 5 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 18 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 30 |
| Beet | — | Mar 30 – May 11 | May 19 |
| Potato | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 9 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 9 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 25 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 20 |
| Winter squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 25 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 28 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 2 |
Monticello'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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 20 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 21 |
| 2012 | Apr 23 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 23 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 7 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 15 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | May 8 |
| 2022 | Apr 19 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 170 |
| 2005 | 164 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 147 |
| 2008 | 194 |
| 2009 | 180 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2011 | 163 |
| 2012 | 153 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 178 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 192 |
| 2017 | 204 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 179 |
| 2020 | 147 |
| 2021 | 176 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 17.8 °C |
| 2004 | 18.1 °C |
| 2005 | 19.2 °C |
| 2006 | 18.6 °C |
| 2007 | 19.2 °C |
| 2008 | 18.0 °C |
| 2009 | 17.8 °C |
| 2010 | 20.2 °C |
| 2011 | 19.2 °C |
| 2012 | 19.6 °C |
| 2013 | 18.5 °C |
| 2014 | 18.4 °C |
| 2015 | 19.1 °C |
| 2016 | 19.6 °C |
| 2017 | 19.3 °C |
| 2018 | 19.6 °C |
| 2019 | 19.5 °C |
| 2020 | 18.4 °C |
| 2021 | 19.2 °C |
| 2022 | 18.9 °C |
| 2023 | 18.9 °C |
| 2024 | 19.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Champaign 9 Sw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.