What to Plant in Michigan in March
March in Michigan sits six to nine weeks before the last frost across most of the state, so open-ground planting stays largely off the table.
Gardening in Michigan
Everything we have worked out for Michigan: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Detroit, the last spring freeze runs April 30 in the Detroit area; early to mid May across most of the Lower Peninsula and the first fall freeze runs October 6 to October 21, USDA zones 4a-6b, 3,248 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Michigan: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
What to Plant in Michigan in June
By June, Michigan gardeners are past the frost risk almost everywhere in the state, and this is the month the vegetable garden fills in for real: tender…
What to Plant in Michigan in July
Deep summer has Michigan gardens in full swing by July, well past the last spring frost and weeks away from the first fall one.
What to Plant in Michigan in January
Across Michigan, January means frozen or waterlogged ground almost everywhere, so nothing goes into open soil this month.
What to Plant in Michigan in February
February in Michigan is not a month for the open garden. Statewide, soil sits frozen or waterlogged, and the last spring frost is still eight to twelve…
What to Plant in Michigan in December
December offers almost nothing to plant directly outdoors across Michigan. With ground frozen or freezing through most of the state, the real answer this…
What to Plant in Michigan in August
August in Michigan splits into two jobs at once: bring in the peak harvest of tomatoes, corn, and melons, and sow a second round of fast-maturing crops…
What to Plant in Michigan in April
Michigan’s last frost dates make April a cold-hardy month, not a tender-crop month: with frost typically lingering into late April in the Detroit area…
Growing Peppers in Michigan: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Michigan gives pepper plants a narrow window of good weather sandwiched between two real threats.
Growing Potatoes in Michigan: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
Michigan gardeners get a rare break: summer heat almost never gets high enough to stop a potato crop from sizing up.