When to plant · 38 cities · zones 5b–6a
When to plant mustard greens in Illinois
Direct sow mustard greens around Apr 17 — the Illinois statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 17 across 1,402 ZIP codes and 192 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for fall. Seed germinates fastest at 55–65 °F and may stall above 80 °F.
Illinois mustard greens, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 17, first fall frost Oct 21, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 17 | May 17 | 30 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Illinois's ZIP codes resolve to.
Mustard Greens in Illinois, city by city
Mustard greens, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicagozone 6a | Apr 10 | Apr 10 | May 10 |
| Aurorazone 5b | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Napervillezone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Jolietzone 5b | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Rockfordzone 5b | Apr 24 | Apr 24 | May 24 |
| Elginzone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 |
| Springfieldzone 6a | Apr 15 | Apr 15 | May 15 |
| Peoriazone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 16 | May 16 |
| Champaignzone 6a | Apr 15 | Apr 15 | May 15 |
| Waukeganzone 6a | Apr 30 | Apr 30 | May 30 |
| Cicerozone 6a | Apr 11 | Apr 11 | May 11 |
| Bloomingtonzone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 21 | May 21 |
| Schaumburgzone 5b | Apr 30 | Apr 30 | May 30 |
| Evanstonzone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 |
| Arlington Heightszone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Bolingbrookzone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 20 | May 20 |
| Decaturzone 6a | Apr 14 | Apr 14 | May 14 |
| Palatinezone 5b | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Skokiezone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 |
| Des Plaineszone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 16 | May 16 |
| Orland Parkzone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 20 | May 20 |
| Oak Lawnzone 6a | Apr 10 | Apr 10 | May 10 |
| Mount Prospectzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Berwynzone 6a | Apr 11 | Apr 11 | May 11 |
| Tinley Parkzone 6a | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | May 23 |
| Wheatonzone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Normalzone 6a | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Oak Parkzone 6a | Apr 11 | Apr 11 | May 11 |
| Hoffman Estateszone 5b | Apr 30 | Apr 30 | May 30 |
| Downers Grovezone 6a | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Plainfieldzone 5b | Apr 20 | Apr 20 | May 20 |
| Glenviewzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Elmhurstzone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 16 | May 16 |
| Lombardzone 6a | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Buffalo Grovezone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Molinezone 5b | Apr 24 | Apr 24 | May 24 |
| Crystal Lakezone 5b | May 1 | May 1 | May 31 |
| Romeovillezone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 20 | May 20 |
What Illinois mustard greens need
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
72-Cell Trays with 1020 Bottoms, 5-PackMust have
The cheap black nursery trays crack after one season and flex enough to break roots when you lift them. These do not. Over five seasons the price per use is lower than the throwaways.
AG-30 Frost Protection Row Cover
AG-30 buys roughly 6 °F of frost protection while passing about 70% of light — enough to carry a crop through an early-October cold snap that would otherwise end your season two weeks short.
Ultra-Fine Garden Netting, 10×33 ft, 2 pcs
A hornworm is a moth's decision made in June. Fine mesh over the bed at transplant means the moth never lands, and you never spray anything at all.
6" Micro-Tip Pruning SnipsMust have
Ninety percent of sauce-garden cutting is snipping a pepper stem or a basil node, and a fine-tipped snip does it better than any pruner. Pulling peppers by hand tears the branch.
Digital Kitchen Scale, 11 lb, g/ozMust have
Fermentation brine is a percentage of weight, not a number of spoons. Without a gram scale you are not following a fermentation recipe — you are guessing at the one number that determines whether it is safe.
One-Touch Coffee & Spice Grinder
Dried cayenne into powder in fifteen seconds. Dedicate one to chiles — grind coffee in it afterwards and you will find out exactly how well capsaicin sticks to plastic.
Half Pint (8 oz) Regular Mouth Mason Jars, 12Must have
Eight ounces is the right jar for a sauce you use by the spoonful. Open a quart of hot sauce and you are racing the fridge; open a half-pint and you finish it while it is still good.
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Mustard Greens in Illinois: questions
When should I plant mustard greens in Illinois?
Direct sow around Apr 17 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 7 in the warmest tenth of Illinois's ZIP codes to Apr 27 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 3 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Illinois?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 17. In the warmest tenth of Illinois's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 7; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 27.
When will Illinois mustard greens be ready to harvest?
Mustard greens planted on the statewide date is ready around May 17: 30 days from sow.
More for Illinois
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant cilantro
- When to plant carrots
Mustard Greens in every state → · Illinois frost dates → · How frost-date math works →