When should I plant lettuce in ZIP 60601?

In ZIP 60601, the main lettuce target is around Apr 11, based on the representative Chicago frost station and USDA zone 6a.

Is this a guaranteed planting date?

No. GrowZone uses frost-date estimates, hardiness zones, and crop timing rules for planning. Local microclimates and current weather can shift the right date.

ZIP 60601 planting calendar

In ZIP 60601, plant lettuce around Apr 11.

Your Chicago calendar has a 178-day estimated frost-free season. This estimate uses the representative Chicago frost station, USDA zone 6a, and lettuce timing rules.

USDA zone 6a Chicago frost station University of Illinois Extension Updated 2026-06-28

Read the method

Season map

Lettuce windows by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Start indoors

Mar 28

Direct sow

Apr 11

Transplant

Apr 11

Harvest

Jun 5

Frost watch

Aug 26

Reminder workflow

Every date has a next action

Start lettuce indoorsMar 28

Direct sow lettuceApr 11

Transplant lettuceApr 11

Last frost windowApr 25

First lettuce harvest windowJun 5

Last lettuce sowing targetAug 26

Signal	Value	Why it matters
Last frost estimate	April 25, 2026	Warm-season transplant risk starts falling after this window.
First frost estimate	October 20, 2026	Fall planting counts backward from this date.
Season length	178 days	Longer seasons can support succession crops.
Spacing	8-12 in	Airflow and root space affect yield.
Soil temperature	40 F+	Seeds and transplants stall in cold soil.

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Local data

Why this date changes by ZIP

Chicago frost history and USDA zone 6a shift the safe planting window. GrowZone uses a local representative station instead of one national rule.

University of Illinois Extension is the kind of local source to verify against when a crop is expensive, weather is unusual, or your yard has a cold pocket.

Crop note

Lettuce timing notes

Succession sow every 10-14 days while weather is cool. Lettuce prefers sun to part shade, 8-12 in spacing, and soil near 40 F+.

For fall, count backward from Oct 20. A conservative last sowing target is around Aug 26.