When to Plant Lemon Balm in Illinois
Illinois spans USDA hardiness 5a to 7a (zones 5a to 7a on this page). Plant lemon balm by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a
Lemon Balm planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Direct sow
Apr 21
Projected first harvest
Jun 30
Lemon Balm is ready to harvest in about 70 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Lemon Balm planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
Apr 16
Projected first harvest
Jun 25
Lemon Balm is ready to harvest in about 70 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Lemon Balm planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Direct sow
Apr 11
Projected first harvest
Jun 20
Lemon Balm is ready to harvest in about 70 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Lemon Balm planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 6b
Average last spring frost
April 20
Average first fall frost
October 15
Direct sow
Apr 6
Projected first harvest
Jun 15
Lemon Balm is ready to harvest in about 70 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Lemon Balm planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 7a
Average last spring frost
April 15
Average first fall frost
October 20
Direct sow
Apr 1
Projected first harvest
Jun 10
Lemon Balm is ready to harvest in about 70 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of lemon balm in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with lemon balm
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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