Bay · Skokie, Illinois, United States
When to plant bay in Skokie
Main outdoor window
11 Apr - 9 May
A climate estimate. Check your soil, forecast and cultivar.
Timed from last spring frost
4 April
In Skokie, on your chosen risk.
Ready to pick
1 Jan - 31 Dec
If you plant at the start of the window.
The average last frost. Half of all years are later than this.
Step by step in Skokie
Download these planting dates (.ics)
Import into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. Dates use the selected risk level and are planning estimates, not frost alerts.
Each window is a planning range. Check the forecast, soil and cultivar before planting; a later date is not automatically safer in hot or wet conditions.
Plant out
11 Apr - 9 May
After the last frost, once the soil has warmed. This crop is never fully dormant, so it cannot be planted bare-root in winter.
Harvest
1 Jan - 31 Dec
Bay through the year
Against the frost risk in Skokie
Seasonal context
Rainfall and the growing season in Skokie
May has the highest average precipitation (119 mm); January has the lowest (47 mm). Compare this pattern with the planting windows and your water supply.
During wetter months, check that beds and containers drain after heavy rain. During drier months, plan how you will keep seeds and new transplants watered. Monthly averages can hide long dry spells and intense storms; they do not show soil moisture, humidity or this week's weather.
Source: NASA POWER, corrected MERRA-2 precipitation, 2001–2020. Values are approximate monthly totals, including the water equivalent of snow, from the nearest 0.5° × 0.625° grid cell. This reference period differs from the temperature record. Rainfall provides context and does not change the calculated planting dates. Method and limitations.
Monthly growing conditions in Skokie
Compare the planting window with the local temperature pattern. These are historical monthly averages, not this year's forecast or measured soil temperatures. Average frost days do not tell you whether a particular night will freeze.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | -4.9°C (23.2°F)23.2°F (-4.9°C) | -0.2°C (31.7°F)31.7°F (-0.2°C) | 25.7 |
| February | -4.5°C (24°F)24°F (-4.5°C) | 0.8°C (33.5°F)33.5°F (0.8°C) | 23.6 |
| March | -0.5°C (31°F)31°F (-0.5°C) | 5.1°C (41.2°F)41.2°F (5.1°C) | 16.9 |
| April | 3.8°C (38.8°F)38.8°F (3.8°C) | 10°C (50°F)50°F (10°C) | 2.7 |
| May | 8.8°C (47.8°F)47.8°F (8.8°C) | 15.2°C (59.3°F)59.3°F (15.2°C) | 0.0 |
| June | 15.1°C (59.1°F)59.1°F (15.1°C) | 21.1°C (70°F)70°F (21.1°C) | 0.0 |
| July | 19.6°C (67.3°F)67.3°F (19.6°C) | 24.9°C (76.8°F)76.8°F (24.9°C) | 0.0 |
| August | 20°C (68.1°F)68.1°F (20°C) | 25.1°C (77.1°F)77.1°F (25.1°C) | 0.0 |
| September | 16.4°C (61.5°F)61.5°F (16.4°C) | 22°C (71.6°F)71.6°F (22°C) | 0.0 |
| October | 9.9°C (49.7°F)49.7°F (9.9°C) | 15.6°C (60°F)60°F (15.6°C) | 0.0 |
| November | 3.4°C (38.2°F)38.2°F (3.4°C) | 8.5°C (47.3°F)47.3°F (8.5°C) | 5.5 |
| December | -1.8°C (28.9°F)28.9°F (-1.8°C) | 2.7°C (36.8°F)36.8°F (2.7°C) | 18.4 |
For bay, also check drainage, sunlight and cultivar requirements. See the rainfall context above; humidity, irrigation and local pest pressure are not calculated.
Local growing check
Before choosing bay for Skokie
- May is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 119 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.
The temperature and rainfall tables on this page show the underlying climate estimates. How these suitability checks work · Record what happens in your garden.
Before you plant bay
Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.
- Check the local overnight forecast before planting out. Delay planting or keep protection ready if frost is forecast, even after the historical last-frost date.
- Check mature size, drainage and cultivar suitability before choosing a permanent position. A suitable planting window does not guarantee long-term survival or fruiting.
Plan for a woody bay tree, even when it starts in a pot
Choose a drained position in sun or partial shade. A container lets you manage size and move the plant into shelter during unsuitable winter weather, but roots confined in a pot need moisture checks and space to grow.
Inspect leaf undersides and stems for scale insects and check new growth for distortion. Shape the tree gradually rather than expecting a single hard cut to solve years of crowding. Bay leaves are used for flavouring and usually removed before serving; their tough texture is not changed by being home-grown.
What to record this season
Did the pot remain stable and adequately watered as the canopy enlarged? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.
Further reading: NC State Extension: Laurus nobilis . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.
The reference describes plant identity and cultivation. Its regional calendar months and hardiness observations do not validate the calculated dates for another location.
How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy
Why these dates
Choose a drained position in sun or partial shade. A container lets you manage size and move the plant into shelter during unsuitable winter weather, but roots confined in a pot need moisture checks and space to grow.
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.
Bay are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Skokie has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.
Skokie sits in zone 7a, which is colder than the catalog range. Check a locally proven cultivar and a realistic protection plan before planting. The calculated dates do not confirm that this crop is suitable here. Check cultivar requirements and local growing experience before planting.
The general establishment guide is around year 2, under suitable conditions. This is not a prediction for this location; cultivar, winter conditions and care determine whether it crops reliably.
Growing bay in Skokie
Can I grow bay in Skokie?
The calendar estimates a planting window, not a guarantee of success. May is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 119 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.
When should I plant bay in Skokie?
Aim for 11 Apr - 9 May in an average year. If you would rather not gamble on the weather, wait until 24 Apr - 22 May - by then frost has finished in nine years out of ten.
When might bay be ready to harvest in Skokie?
The estimated period is 1 Jan - 31 Dec, based on 120 to 150 days from the modeled planting date. Cultivar, planting material and growing conditions can change this interval; check the plant as well as the calendar.
How much frost will bay tolerate?
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.