When should I plant tomatoes in ZIP 60601?

In ZIP 60601, the main tomatoes target is around May 2, 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 tomatoes around May 2.

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

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

Read the method

Season map

Tomatoes windows by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Start indoors

Mar 14

Transplant

May 2

Harvest

Jul 19

Frost watch

Aug 3

Reminder workflow

Every date has a next action

Start tomatoes indoorsMar 14

Last frost windowApr 25

Transplant tomatoesMay 2

First tomatoes harvest windowJul 19

Last tomatoes sowing targetAug 3

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	18-24 in	Airflow and root space affect yield.
Soil temperature	60 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

Tomatoes timing notes

Harden seedlings off for a week before transplanting. Tomatoes prefers full sun, 18-24 in spacing, and soil near 60 F+.

For fall, count backward from Oct 20. A conservative last sowing target is around Aug 3.