Tuscola, IL planting calendar
- USDA zone
- 6a−10 to −5 °F
- Last frost
- Apr 15avg, 32°F
- First frost
- Oct 20avg, 32°F
- Growing season
- 188days
Tuscola, Illinois is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a. Its average last spring frost is around April 15 and the first fall frost around October 20, giving a growing season of about 188 days (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, 32°F, median). Start tender crops like tomatoes and peppers indoors weeks before the last frost and set them out afterward; sow hardy crops such as peas, spinach, and lettuce before it. The planner below turns those frost dates into a printable per-crop planting calendar.
Tuscola planting calendar
Each crop's windows are counted from Tuscola's average frost dates. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees.
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 21 – Jul 11 | — |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Apr 29 – May 6 | Jun 28 – Jul 28 | — |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 11 – Jul 1 | — |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 6 – Jun 21 | — |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 11 – Jun 21 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | Jun 14 – Jul 14 | — |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 22 – Jun 6 | — |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 2 – May 17 | Aug 7 – Aug 22 |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 28 – May 13 | Jul 28 – Aug 12 |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 13 – Apr 23 | Aug 17 – Aug 27 |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | May 24 – Jun 13 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 12 – Jun 1 | Jul 23 – Aug 12 |
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Frost & freeze dates
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00118684. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 (p10 for spring, p90 for fall) — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 13 | Oct 11 | Oct 22 | 166 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 15 | May 1 | Oct 20 | Nov 1 | 188 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 19 | Oct 31 | Nov 14 | 210 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 8 | Nov 9 | Nov 27 | 230 |
32°F is the standard "freeze" line that damages tender crops; lighter 36°F frost can nip the most cold-sensitive plants, while hardy crops shrug off light frost down toward 28°F. Use the threshold that matches what you are protecting.
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. Warm-season crops need a long, warm GDD total; a short, cool GDD total favors greens and brassicas.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,578 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,872 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6a
Tuscola sits in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a on the 2023 map — meaning its average annual extreme minimum winter temperature is about −10 to −5 °F. That number tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here; it does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above.
Explore more places in zone 6a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What USDA hardiness zone is Tuscola?
- Tuscola, Illinois is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a on the 2023 map (average annual extreme minimum temperature −10 to −5 °F) — from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this location's ZIP. See the methodology page for sources.
- When is the last frost in Tuscola?
- The average (median) last spring frost at 32°F is around April 15, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals at the nearest reporting station. Roughly one year in ten the last frost is as late as May 1, so wait until then before setting out frost-tender plants if you want to be safe.
- When is the first fall frost in Tuscola?
- The average first fall frost at 32°F is around October 20. That leaves a growing season of about 188 days between the average last spring and first fall frosts.
- When should I start tomatoes in Tuscola?
- Start tomato seeds indoors about Feb 18 – Mar 4 and transplant them outside about Apr 22 – Apr 29, once the danger of frost has passed. Estimated first harvest is around Jun 21 – Jul 11.
- How long is the growing season in Tuscola?
- About 188 days at the 32°F threshold (NOAA 1991–2020, median) — the span between the average last spring frost (~April 15) and the average first fall frost (~October 20). Cold-hardy crops extend usable time at both ends; frost-tender crops fit inside it.
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 for station USC00118684 (Tuscola, 0.3 km away). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to this location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.