When to plant radish in Chicago
Radish is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chicago's frost dates of Apr 10.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 26 – Apr 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 20 – Apr 25
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Sep 10 – Sep 24
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 12 – Oct 17
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
25 – 30 d
Chicago's 206-day season leaves this much room.
Radish 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
APR 10
OCT 31
Common questions
When can I sow radish outdoors in Chicago?
Direct-sow around late March (Mar 26–Apr 16) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will radish be ready to harvest in Chicago?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 20–Apr 25) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
Can I plant radish in autumn in Chicago?
Yes — Chicago supports a second, autumn sowing of radish around early September (Sep 10–Sep 24), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Chicago?
Chicago has roughly 206 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow radish to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow radish 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.