Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You can figure out when you can plant cucumbers in Downers Grove by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Cucumbers

Frost tolerance for cucumbers:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

It's not a good idea to plant cucumbers until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant cucumbers in Downers Grove is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant cucumbers and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your cucumbers may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your cucumbers indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Downers Grove. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Downers Grove is an average and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Downers Grove there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to protect your cucumbers in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Downers Grove

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Downers Grove

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Downers Grove.