When should I plant peppers in ZIP 60601?

In ZIP 60601, the main peppers target is around May 9, 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 peppers around May 9.

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

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

Read the method

Season map

Peppers windows by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Start indoors

Feb 28

Transplant

May 9

Harvest

Aug 2

Frost watch

Jul 27

Reminder workflow

Every date has a next action

Start peppers indoorsFeb 28

Last frost windowApr 25

Transplant peppersMay 9

Last peppers sowing targetJul 27

First peppers harvest windowAug 2

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	18 in	Airflow and root space affect yield.
Soil temperature	65 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

Peppers timing notes

Peppers stall in cold soil, so wait for warm nights. Peppers prefers full sun, 18 in spacing, and soil near 65 F+.

For fall, count backward from Oct 20. A conservative last sowing target is around Jul 27.