Are you planting a vegetable garden this spring? Good for you. Fresh garden produce can’t be beat for taste and nutrition. But knowing when to plant your vegetables in Michigan can be crucial. It can mean the difference between no crop or a poor crop and abundant, delicious crops.
Vegetables fall into 3 categories for the proper planting time. The cool weather crops, mild weather crops and warm weather crops. When we decide to plant these crops we take into account the soil temperature, air temperature and the plants preferred growing conditions.
You can take the soil temperature by using a soil thermometer, very inexpensive in garden shops, or even with a small air thermometer you carefully push into the soil. Push the thermometer into the soil to about 8 inches deep. Sandy soils and darker colored loam soils warm up faster than heavy clay soils. Soil in raised beds also warms up faster.
The very first crops to plant in Michigan are peas and leaf lettuce. These vegetables will grow in soil below 45 degrees and air temperatures just above freezing. Frost doesn’t faze them. They can be planted as soon as your soil is dry enough to work, usually early April in Michigan. Crocus, daffodils, and maples will be in bloom.
Next crops to plant are kale, chard, spinach, pac choi, radishes, onions, leeks, potatoes, and turnips. Soil temperatures of 50 degrees are high enough and daytime air temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. Light frosts can still be expected. Depending on your location and the weather this can be late April- early May in Michigan. Dandelions will generally be blooming and the trees starting to leaf out.
Next crops to plant, with soil temperatures of 55-60 degrees are carrots and beets. Air temperatures should be 60’s and low 70’s. This is usually early to mid May in Michigan. You can set out cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts transplants or plant their seeds now too. Popcorn can be planted and you can take a chance with an early planting of beans. If there are no frosts after the beans emerge, your beans will do well. Frost will mean you have to re-plant. Some people also like to gamble with a cold tolerant sweet corn around this time to attempt an early corn crop.
Once the soil temperature reaches 70 degrees it’s time to plant the rest of the garden. This includes sweet corn, the main crop of beans, cucumbers, melons, squash, okra, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Most tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are set out as transplants in Michigan. The other crops can be seeds or plants.
In Michigan warm weather crops are planted just as the lilacs finish blooming and oak leaves are bigger than an inch. This is generally late May and early June. Even then, it’s not unknown for Michigan to have a surprise late frost. Keep an eye on weather reports and be prepared to cover tender plants if frost is predicted. Make sure to remove covers when the sun comes up.
Some crops can be started early if season extenders are used for an article about that go here, http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/cold-frames-and-plant-cover... Other gardening articles on this site you may want to read are: http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/starting-a-vegetable-garden http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/guilt-free-gardening-and-gr...
For an index of garden articles by Kimberley Willis click on her name at the top of the page.
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