When to plant Leeks in Illinois
In spring, from Feb 15 – Mar 15 in Alton to Apr 1 – May 1 in Zion.
In fall: USDA's 1967 table lists leeks as generally spring-planted in every place here. Newer advice from your state's extension service may differ.
USDA's earliest safe spring and latest safe fall planting dates, matched to each place's average frost dates.
| Place | Spring |
|---|---|
| Addison | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Algonquin | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Alsip | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Alton | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Antioch | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Arlington Heights | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Aurora | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Barrington | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Bartlett | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Batavia | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Beach Park | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Belleville | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Bellwood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Belvidere | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Bensenville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Berwyn | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Bloomingdale | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Bloomington | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Blue Island | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Bolingbrook | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Bourbonnais | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Bradley | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Bridgeview | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Brookfield | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Buffalo Grove | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Burbank | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Burr Ridge | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Cahokia Heights | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Calumet City | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Campton Hills | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Canton | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Carbondale | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Carol Stream | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Carpentersville | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Cary | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Centralia | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Champaign | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Channahon | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Charleston | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Chatham | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Chicago | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Chicago Heights | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Chicago Ridge | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Cicero | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Collinsville | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Columbia | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Country Club Hills | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Crest Hill | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Crestwood | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Crystal Lake | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Danville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Darien | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Decatur | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Deerfield | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| DeKalb | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Des Plaines | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Dixon | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Dolton | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Downers Grove | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| East Moline | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| East Peoria | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| East St. Louis | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Edwardsville | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Effingham | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Elgin | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Elk Grove Village | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Elmhurst | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Elmwood Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Evanston | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Evergreen Park | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Fairview Heights | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Forest Park | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Fox Lake | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Frankfort | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Franklin Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Freeport | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Galesburg | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Geneva | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Glen Carbon | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Glen Ellyn | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Glendale Heights | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Glenview | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Godfrey | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Granite City | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Grayslake | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Gurnee | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Hanover Park | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Harvey | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Hazel Crest | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Herrin | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Hickory Hills | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Highland | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Highland Park | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Hinsdale | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Hoffman Estates | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Homer Glen | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Homewood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Huntley | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Jacksonville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Joliet | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Justice | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Kankakee | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Kewanee | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| La Grange | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| La Grange Park | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Lake Forest | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Lake in the Hills | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lake Zurich | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Lansing | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lemont | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Libertyville | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Lincoln | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lincolnwood | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Lindenhurst | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lisle | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Lockport | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lombard | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Loves Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Lyons | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Machesney Park | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Macomb | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Mahomet | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Manhattan | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Marion | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Markham | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Matteson | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Mattoon | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Maywood | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| McHenry | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Melrose Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Midlothian | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Minooka | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Mokena | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Moline | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Montgomery | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Morris | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Morton | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Morton Grove | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Mount Prospect | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Mount Vernon | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Mundelein | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Naperville | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| New Lenox | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Niles | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Normal | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Norridge | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| North Aurora | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| North Chicago | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Northbrook | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Northlake | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| O'Fallon | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Oak Forest | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Oak Lawn | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Oak Park | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Orland Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Oswego | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Ottawa | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Palatine | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Palos Heights | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Palos Hills | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Park Forest | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Park Ridge | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Pekin | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Peoria | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Pingree Grove | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Plainfield | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Plano | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Pontiac | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Prospect Heights | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Quincy | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Rantoul | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Richton Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| River Forest | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| River Grove | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Riverdale | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Rock Island | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Rockford | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Rolling Meadows | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Romeoville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Roscoe | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Roselle | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Round Lake | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Round Lake Beach | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Schaumburg | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Schiller Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Shiloh | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Shorewood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Skokie | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| South Elgin | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| South Holland | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Springfield | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| St. Charles | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Sterling | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Streamwood | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Streator | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Summit | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Swansea | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Sycamore | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Taylorville | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Tinley Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Troy | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Urbana | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Vernon Hills | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Villa Park | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Warrenville | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Washington | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Waterloo | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Wauconda | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Waukegan | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| West Chicago | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Westchester | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Western Springs | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Westmont | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Wheaton | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Wheeling | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Wilmette | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Winfield | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Winnetka | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Wood Dale | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Wood River | Feb 15 – Mar 15 |
| Woodridge | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Woodstock | Mar 15 – Apr 15 |
| Worth | Mar 1 – Apr 1 |
| Yorkville | Apr 1 – May 1 |
| Zion | Apr 1 – May 1 |
Planting dates: USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 9 (1967), tables 4 and 5. Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. “—” means the place's frost date is outside the table. The full USDA table for leeks.