When to Plant Sweet Potatoes in Illinois
Illinois spans USDA hardiness 5a to 7a (zones 5a to 7a on this page). Plant sweet potatoes 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
Sweet Potatoes planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Direct sow
Jun 2
Projected first harvest
Sep 10
Most sweet potatoes mature in about 100 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Sweet Potatoes planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
May 28
Projected first harvest
Sep 5
Most sweet potatoes mature in about 100 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Sweet Potatoes planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Direct sow
May 23
Projected first harvest
Aug 31
Most sweet potatoes mature in about 100 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Sweet Potatoes planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 6b
Average last spring frost
April 20
Average first fall frost
October 15
Direct sow
May 18
Projected first harvest
Aug 26
Most sweet potatoes mature in about 100 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Sweet Potatoes planting calendar for Illinois, Zone 7a
Average last spring frost
April 15
Average first fall frost
October 20
Direct sow
May 13
Projected first harvest
Aug 21
Most sweet potatoes mature in about 100 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
2 varieties of sweet potatoes in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with sweet potatoes
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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