When to plant in Pittsfield, IL
Planting dates worked out from Pittsfield's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 5
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 19
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 21
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
187
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Pittsfield #2 · 1.3 km away · station 207 m, town 223 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 10 – Mar 24 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 15 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 1 |
| Peas | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | May 13 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 29 – May 10 | May 28 |
| Beet | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 16 |
| Potato | — | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Jun 7 |
| Kale | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 8 |
| Broccoli | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | May 21 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 19 |
| Winter squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | Jun 20 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 7 – Nov 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 26 |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 1 |
Pittsfield'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 6 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | Mar 27 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 20 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 6 |
| 2025 | Apr 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 166 |
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1998 | 198 |
| 2004 | 172 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2007 | 195 |
| 2008 | 196 |
| 2010 | 215 |
| 2011 | 176 |
| 2013 | 187 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 177 |
| 2016 | 211 |
| 2017 | 219 |
| 2020 | 147 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 188 |
| 2024 | 192 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 18.6 °C |
| 1997 | 18.1 °C |
| 1998 | 20.6 °C |
| 2004 | 19.6 °C |
| 2005 | 21.2 °C |
| 2007 | 20.9 °C |
| 2008 | 19.1 °C |
| 2010 | 21.6 °C |
| 2012 | 21.1 °C |
| 2013 | 19.9 °C |
| 2014 | 19.6 °C |
| 2015 | 20.5 °C |
| 2017 | 21.0 °C |
| 2020 | 19.1 °C |
| 2021 | 19.9 °C |
| 2022 | 19.6 °C |
| 2023 | 19.8 °C |
| 2024 | 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 Pittsfield #2 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.