When to plant in Rochelle, IL
Planting dates worked out from Rochelle's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 29
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 9
1 year in 10 by Sep 21
Frost-free days
161
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Rochelle · 1.4 km away · station 236 m, town 251 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 27 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jun 10 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 20 |
| Kale | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 10 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Rochelle'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 |
|---|---|
| 1979 | May 1 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 12 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 9 |
| 1984 | Apr 6 |
| 1986 | May 2 |
| 1987 | Apr 8 |
| 1988 | Apr 27 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 22 |
| 1992 | May 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 21 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1996 | Apr 29 |
| 1997 | May 17 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Mar 29 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 27 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | Apr 29 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | May 2 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 156 |
| 1980 | 147 |
| 1981 | 142 |
| 1982 | 147 |
| 1983 | 134 |
| 1984 | 161 |
| 1986 | 126 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 160 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 174 |
| 1991 | 149 |
| 1992 | 141 |
| 1993 | 161 |
| 1994 | 161 |
| 1995 | 149 |
| 1996 | 164 |
| 1997 | 150 |
| 1998 | 186 |
| 1999 | 171 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 150 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 170 |
| 2006 | 167 |
| 2007 | 151 |
| 2008 | 175 |
| 2009 | 177 |
| 2010 | 146 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2012 | 147 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 147 |
| 2015 | 167 |
| 2016 | 177 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 17.6 °C |
| 1981 | 17.1 °C |
| 1983 | 17.6 °C |
| 1984 | 17.0 °C |
| 1986 | 18.2 °C |
| 1988 | 19.3 °C |
| 1990 | 17.5 °C |
| 1991 | 19.1 °C |
| 1992 | 14.8 °C |
| 1993 | 16.8 °C |
| 1994 | 17.3 °C |
| 1995 | 17.6 °C |
| 1996 | 16.0 °C |
| 1997 | 16.3 °C |
| 1998 | 18.6 °C |
| 1999 | 18.1 °C |
| 2000 | 17.6 °C |
| 2001 | 18.2 °C |
| 2002 | 18.7 °C |
| 2004 | 17.5 °C |
| 2005 | 19.0 °C |
| 2006 | 18.0 °C |
| 2007 | 18.1 °C |
| 2008 | 16.9 °C |
| 2009 | 16.4 °C |
| 2010 | 18.7 °C |
| 2011 | 17.4 °C |
| 2012 | 18.5 °C |
| 2013 | 17.1 °C |
| 2014 | 16.8 °C |
| 2015 | 17.6 °C |
| 2016 | 18.2 °C |
| 2017 | 16.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1979, Rochelle's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Rochelle (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.