When to plant in Waterman, IL
Planting dates worked out from Waterman's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 28
Frost-free days
166
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Shabbona 5 Nne · 10.2 km away · station 262 m, town 252 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 9 – Mar 23 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 10 |
| Peas | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 25 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 20 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | May 30 |
| Cucumber | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 23 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 |
| Winter squash | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 29 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 8 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Waterman'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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 20 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 23 |
| 2015 | May 1 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | May 3 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2005 | 169 |
| 2006 | 167 |
| 2007 | 147 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 175 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2012 | 148 |
| 2013 | 175 |
| 2014 | 170 |
| 2015 | 167 |
| 2016 | 182 |
| 2017 | 188 |
| 2018 | 164 |
| 2019 | 166 |
| 2020 | 147 |
| 2021 | 163 |
| 2023 | 160 |
| 2024 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 16.8 °C |
| 2005 | 18.2 °C |
| 2006 | 17.3 °C |
| 2007 | 17.5 °C |
| 2008 | 16.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.9 °C |
| 2010 | 18.6 °C |
| 2011 | 17.4 °C |
| 2012 | 18.2 °C |
| 2013 | 16.9 °C |
| 2014 | 16.7 °C |
| 2015 | 17.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.1 °C |
| 2017 | 17.3 °C |
| 2018 | 17.7 °C |
| 2019 | 17.7 °C |
| 2020 | 17.4 °C |
| 2021 | 18.2 °C |
| 2023 | 17.6 °C |
| 2024 | 18.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Shabbona 5 Nne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.