Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Michigan Season
Most pepper varieties can ripen fully in a Michigan garden if the plant goes into the ground already several weeks old and the grower manages both ends…
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.
Watering Through a Dry Spell in Michigan
An inch of water a week is the target for most garden beds, but Michigan’s driest summer stretch delivers less than that from the sky alone.
Watering Pots and Containers in Michigan
Michigan’s driest summer month brings just 3.26 inches of rain, while the state averages only 10.3 days a year at 90F or hotter.
Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in Michigan
Forcing spring bulbs indoors works reliably in Michigan, but the state’s cold isn’t the obstacle.
Growing Spring Bulbs in Containers in Michigan
Michigan’s winters already deliver more cold than a spring bulb needs to bloom outdoors, so forcing indoors is a choice for winter color, not a…
Canning at Altitude in Michigan: What Your Elevation Changes
Michigan spans lowland shorelines and higher inland ridges, but for canning purposes what matters is your own kitchen’s elevation, not a statewide average.
When to Plant Onions in Michigan
Michigan’s growing season runs on daylight, not warmth, and that single fact decides everything about the calendar.
The Best Onion Varieties for Michigan
Michigan sits at 42.23 degrees north, the latitude of the National Weather Service station near Lansing, and on the longest day of the year that spot…
The Best Grass Seed for Michigan Lawns
Which cool-season grasses actually work for a Michigan lawn near Detroit, and what each one trades off in shade, traffic and drought tolerance.
The Michigan Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage guide to Michigan apple bloom and harvest timing, keyed to MSU Extension’s frost dates near Detroit and across the Lower Peninsula.