When to plant potato in Chicago
Potato is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chicago's frost dates of Apr 10.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 8 – Apr 29
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 17 – Aug 6
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
70 – 120 d
Chicago's 206-day season leaves this much room.
Potato on Chicago's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
HARVEST
APR 10
OCT 31
Common questions
When can I sow potato outdoors in Chicago?
Direct-sow around early April (Apr 8–Apr 29) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will potato be ready to harvest in Chicago?
Expect to harvest from around mid June (Jun 17–Aug 6) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
How long is the growing season in Chicago?
Chicago has roughly 206 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow potato to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow potato as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Chicago's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.