When to plant in Battle Creek, MI
Planting dates worked out from Battle Creek's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 15
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 1
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 15
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
164
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Battle Creek Kellogg Ap · 5.2 km away · station 282 m, town 255 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 26 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 4 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jun 29 |
| Winter squash | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 1 – Oct 29 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 9 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Battle Creek's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 26 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | May 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 24 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | May 11 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 176 |
| 1999 | 162 |
| 2000 | 164 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 159 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 195 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 145 |
| 2010 | 164 |
| 2011 | 170 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 147 |
| 2015 | 174 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 169 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 176 |
| 2020 | 156 |
| 2021 | 165 |
| 2022 | 163 |
| 2023 | 178 |
| 2024 | 184 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 18.7 °C |
| 1999 | 18.0 °C |
| 2000 | 16.9 °C |
| 2001 | 17.5 °C |
| 2002 | 17.7 °C |
| 2003 | 16.9 °C |
| 2004 | 17.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.7 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2007 | 18.3 °C |
| 2008 | 17.7 °C |
| 2009 | 17.1 °C |
| 2010 | 19.2 °C |
| 2011 | 17.7 °C |
| 2012 | 18.6 °C |
| 2013 | 17.4 °C |
| 2014 | 17.2 °C |
| 2015 | 18.1 °C |
| 2016 | 17.7 °C |
| 2017 | 18.2 °C |
| 2018 | 18.4 °C |
| 2019 | 18.1 °C |
| 2020 | 17.8 °C |
| 2021 | 18.7 °C |
| 2022 | 18.2 °C |
| 2023 | 18.1 °C |
| 2024 | 19.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Battle Creek Kellogg Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.