Springfield, IL · zone 6a · ~190 frost-free days
When to plant in Springfield: frost dates and zone 6a.
In Springfield, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 15 and the first fall frost around Oct 22, giving you about 190 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Springfield, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 11 to May 11 | Apr 22 to Jun 22 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 8 to Apr 22 | Aug 8 to Oct 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 8 to Apr 10 | Jul 27 to Aug 22 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 15 to Jun 5 | Jul 8 to Aug 10 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 22 to Jul 22 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 20 to May 11 | May 1 to Jun 22 | — |
| Kale | Jan 25 to Feb 22 | Mar 8 to Apr 5 | Jul 22 to Sep 6 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 22 to Apr 5 | Aug 8 to Sep 26 |
Springfield sits in Zone 6a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Springfield garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 62701 in about 60 seconds.
Springfield planting questions
What planting zone is Springfield, IL?+
Springfield is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Springfield?+
The typical last spring frost in Springfield, IL is around Apr 15. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Springfield?+
The typical first fall frost in Springfield, IL arrives around Oct 22, closing a growing season of roughly 190 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Springfield?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 15. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.