Some crops thrive in cool weather, while others only grow well when it’s warmer. So how do you know when to plant what? The key factor that should guide your decisions is your average last spring frost date.
Most cool season crops, like cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and many others, can tolerate a light frost and will grow best when sown a couple weeks before your last spring frost. Some, like peas and spinach, are so cold-hardy they can even be planted “as soon as the ground can be worked,” as many seed packets say. But warm season crops like squash, cucumber, and basil will be killed by frost if your seeds come up too soon. Ditto for warm season transplants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants — if you don’t wait until danger of frost has passed before you set them out, a late frost will kill them.
For Traverse City, there is a 50% chance of frost after May 29th. To play it safe, wait until June 14th, after which there is only a 10% chance of frost. Of course, it's always a good idea to pay attention to the weather patterns at the time as well.
Here’s a summary of which crops to plant early, and which ones not to plant until after your last spring frost date:
Very early spring (as soon as the ground can be worked)- Onions
- peas
- spinach
- lettuce
- beets
- carrots
- radishes
- dill
- cilantro
- cabbage
- broccoli
- celery
- kale
- potatoes
- beans
- corn
- melons
- cucumbers
- squash
- tomatoes
- peppers
- pumpkins
- eggplant
- basil
