Regional guide

Lower Peninsula Michigan Garden Calendar

MSU Extension Lower Peninsula calendar for Zone 6a timing, 5a-6b offsets, soil-temperature thresholds, fall crops, and frost ranges.

Climate signals

• MSU Extension's Lower Peninsula Michigan Garden Calendar was published March 31, 2026.
• The Lower Peninsula calendar says its monthly planting dates are based on Zone 6a.
• The calendar says to plant 1 week earlier in Zone 6b, 1 week later in Zone 5b, and 2 weeks later in Zone 5a.
• The source says to always adjust based on local weather conditions and says soil temperature is more important than air temperature.
• Cool-season crops germinate best at 55 degrees F or warmer, while warm-season crops need 75 degrees F or warmer.
• Average last spring frost ranges include Zone 5a May 20 to May 30, Zone 5b May 10 to May 25, Zone 6a May 1 to May 15, and Zone 6b April 15 to April 30.
• Average first fall frost ranges include Zone 5a Sept. 20 to Oct. 1, Zone 5b Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, Zone 6a Oct. 6 to Oct. 21, and Zone 6b Oct. 15 to Oct. 31.

Planning notes

• Treat this as the Lower Peninsula calendar, not a single exact planting date for all Michigan gardens.
• Most vegetables can be planted July to September for a fall harvest; check days to maturity and count backward from the first frost.
• Cool-season crops tolerate light frost and often improve in flavor after a chill.
• Start spring transplants indoors approximately 4 weeks before outdoor planting and harden off plants 7 to 10 days before transplanting outdoors.
• March planting rows list Peas, Spinach, and Lettuce.
• April planting rows list Carrots, Swiss chard, Beets, Radishes, Potatoes, Onion sets, and Spinach.
• May planting rows list Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, and Bush beans; After Frost rows list Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, and Eggplant.
• June planting rows list Pole beans, Pumpkins, Sweet corn, and Melons.
• July fall crops list Radishes, Lettuce, Turnips, and Spinach.
• August fall crops list Broccoli, Kale, Collards, and Beets.
• September planting rows list Garlic and Cover crops.
• Use these priority links as crop-level catalog examples for MSU Extension rows, not as potato, onion set, garlic, cover crop, winter squash, watermelon, yardlong bean, edamame, or exact cultivar recommendations.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
• Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
• Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
• Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
• Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days

Related regional guides

• Upper Peninsula Michigan Short-Season Vegetable Garden MSU Extension calendar guide for Upper Peninsula Michigan Zone 4b timing, local zone adjustments, soil temperature, and short-season frost ranges.

Source: MSU Extension Lower Peninsula Michigan Garden Calendar