Regional guide

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.

Regional timing

Current regional planting plan

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

Source-backed timing MSU Extension Upper Peninsula Michigan Gardening Calendar

Michigan UP 4 climate signals

Source source cues Local conditions

MSU Extension's Upper Peninsula Michigan Gardening Calendar says its monthly planting dates are based on Zone 4b.
The calendar says to plant 1 week earlier in Zone 5a, 2 weeks earlier in Zone 5b, and 1 week later in Zone 4a.
The source says to always adjust based on local weather conditions and says soil temperature is more important than air temperature.

Catalog priority: 20 priority crops
Climate checks: 4 climate signals
Timing basis: Use regional source signals

Source-backed timing MSU Extension's Upper Peninsula Michigan Gardening Calendar says its monthly planting dates are based on Zone 4b.

The calendar says to plant 1 week earlier in Zone 5a, 2 weeks earlier in Zone 5b, and 1 week later in Zone 4a.

Crop priority American Flag Leek leads the catalog examples

American Flag Leek, California Wonder Pepper, Black Beauty Eggplant, Waltham 29 Broccoli

Next local check Treat the calendar as an Upper Peninsula short-season guide, not as a Lower Peninsula base, Zone 6a base, or statewide Michigan planting date.

Most fall vegetables can be planted from July through early August in the Upper Peninsula; check days to maturity and count backward from the first frost.

Calendar Convert regional timing into dated sowing, transplant, and harvest jobs. Frost dates Keep hardiness zone context separate from local first and last frost dates. All regions Compare this guide with the broader regional atlas. Michigan LP 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 Upper Peninsula Michigan Gardening Calendar says its monthly planting dates are based on Zone 4b.
The calendar says to plant 1 week earlier in Zone 5a, 2 weeks earlier in Zone 5b, and 1 week later in Zone 4a.
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.

Planning notes

Treat the calendar as an Upper Peninsula short-season guide, not as a Lower Peninsula base, Zone 6a base, or statewide Michigan planting date.
Most fall vegetables can be planted from July through early August in the Upper Peninsula; 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.
In May, Plant Seed Outdoors rows list Peas, Spinach, Lettuce, Carrots, Potatoes, Onion sets, and Radish; after frost rows list Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Onions seedlings, and Leeks.
In June, Plant rows list Zucchini, Pumpkins, Sweet corn, Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, and Cucumbers.
July fall crop rows list Radishes, Lettuce, Turnips, Spinach, and Kale; August fall crop rows list Spinach, Kale, Collards, and Beets.
Average last spring frost ranges include Zone 4a June 1 to June 15 and Zone 4b May 25 to June 10; average first fall frost ranges include Zone 4a Sept. 5 to Sept. 20 and Zone 4b Sept. 10 to Sept. 25.
Use these priority links as crop-level catalog examples for MSU Extension rows, not as potato, onion, garlic, zucchini, winter squash, cover crop, 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.

American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days

Related regional guides

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.

Source: MSU Extension Upper Peninsula Michigan Gardening Calendar