When to plant in Fowler, MI
Planting dates worked out from Fowler's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 19
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
164
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Saint Johns · 15.1 km away · station 226 m, town 227 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 24 – Apr 7 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 13 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 18 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 3 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 17 |
| Peas | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | Jun 1 |
| Bush beans | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 1 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 16 |
| Beet | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 6 |
| Potato | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 26 |
| Kale | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 27 |
| Broccoli | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 6 |
| Cucumber | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 8 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 3 |
| Winter squash | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Aug 7 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 11 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jul 6 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | May 15 |
| Basil | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 15 |
Fowler'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 |
|---|---|
| 1894 | May 28 |
| 1895 | May 21 |
| 1896 | Apr 22 |
| 1897 | Apr 27 |
| 1898 | May 16 |
| 1899 | Apr 16 |
| 1900 | May 5 |
| 1901 | Apr 21 |
| 1902 | May 29 |
| 1903 | May 4 |
| 1905 | May 9 |
| 1907 | May 28 |
| 1939 | May 18 |
| 1943 | May 14 |
| 1944 | Apr 30 |
| 1945 | May 19 |
| 1946 | May 17 |
| 1947 | May 10 |
| 1948 | May 8 |
| 1949 | Jun 8 |
| 1950 | May 8 |
| 1951 | May 13 |
| 1952 | May 16 |
| 1953 | Apr 28 |
| 1954 | May 26 |
| 1955 | May 17 |
| 1956 | May 24 |
| 1957 | May 5 |
| 1958 | May 26 |
| 1961 | May 27 |
| 1962 | Apr 20 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 26 |
| 1965 | Apr 29 |
| 1966 | May 29 |
| 1967 | May 12 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | May 26 |
| 1970 | May 6 |
| 1971 | May 12 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1973 | May 18 |
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 12 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1979 | May 5 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1982 | Apr 29 |
| 1983 | May 9 |
| 1984 | May 16 |
| 1985 | May 29 |
| 1986 | May 5 |
| 1987 | May 4 |
| 1988 | Apr 25 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 20 |
| 1992 | May 26 |
| 1993 | Apr 30 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 19 |
| 2003 | May 21 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 28 |
| 2007 | Apr 18 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 24 |
| 2010 | Mar 31 |
| 2011 | Apr 19 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1894 | 138 |
| 1895 | 139 |
| 1896 | 153 |
| 1897 | 180 |
| 1898 | 151 |
| 1899 | 166 |
| 1901 | 164 |
| 1902 | 133 |
| 1905 | 164 |
| 1939 | 135 |
| 1943 | 132 |
| 1944 | 164 |
| 1945 | 133 |
| 1946 | 108 |
| 1947 | 135 |
| 1948 | 148 |
| 1949 | 112 |
| 1950 | 138 |
| 1951 | 138 |
| 1952 | 139 |
| 1953 | 138 |
| 1954 | 119 |
| 1955 | 157 |
| 1956 | 118 |
| 1957 | 144 |
| 1958 | 127 |
| 1961 | 124 |
| 1962 | 186 |
| 1963 | 158 |
| 1964 | 161 |
| 1965 | 150 |
| 1966 | 129 |
| 1967 | 160 |
| 1968 | 172 |
| 1969 | 141 |
| 1970 | 162 |
| 1971 | 175 |
| 1972 | 164 |
| 1973 | 153 |
| 1974 | 137 |
| 1975 | 163 |
| 1976 | 134 |
| 1977 | 149 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1979 | 157 |
| 1983 | 153 |
| 1985 | 126 |
| 1986 | 156 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 186 |
| 1991 | 160 |
| 1992 | 125 |
| 1993 | 157 |
| 1994 | 163 |
| 1995 | 149 |
| 1997 | 154 |
| 1998 | 175 |
| 2000 | 161 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 147 |
| 2003 | 133 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2007 | 189 |
| 2008 | 173 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 214 |
| 2011 | 192 |
| 2012 | 187 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1894 | 17.4 °C |
| 1895 | 18.6 °C |
| 1896 | 17.8 °C |
| 1897 | 16.7 °C |
| 1899 | 17.2 °C |
| 1901 | 17.9 °C |
| 1902 | 16.6 °C |
| 1903 | 16.5 °C |
| 1905 | 16.9 °C |
| 1907 | 15.0 °C |
| 1939 | 17.0 °C |
| 1942 | 17.1 °C |
| 1943 | 15.9 °C |
| 1944 | 17.2 °C |
| 1945 | 16.0 °C |
| 1946 | 16.6 °C |
| 1947 | 16.5 °C |
| 1948 | 17.1 °C |
| 1949 | 17.1 °C |
| 1950 | 15.6 °C |
| 1951 | 16.0 °C |
| 1952 | 17.2 °C |
| 1953 | 17.2 °C |
| 1954 | 16.6 °C |
| 1955 | 18.4 °C |
| 1956 | 16.0 °C |
| 1957 | 16.6 °C |
| 1958 | 16.5 °C |
| 1961 | 16.9 °C |
| 1962 | 17.5 °C |
| 1963 | 17.1 °C |
| 1964 | 17.8 °C |
| 1965 | 17.0 °C |
| 1966 | 16.5 °C |
| 1967 | 16.4 °C |
| 1968 | 17.4 °C |
| 1969 | 16.9 °C |
| 1970 | 18.1 °C |
| 1971 | 17.6 °C |
| 1972 | 16.5 °C |
| 1973 | 17.5 °C |
| 1974 | 16.6 °C |
| 1975 | 16.8 °C |
| 1976 | 17.2 °C |
| 1977 | 18.4 °C |
| 1978 | 17.7 °C |
| 1979 | 17.0 °C |
| 1980 | 17.5 °C |
| 1983 | 17.7 °C |
| 1986 | 16.2 °C |
| 1987 | 17.5 °C |
| 1988 | 18.4 °C |
| 1989 | 16.5 °C |
| 1990 | 16.7 °C |
| 1991 | 17.3 °C |
| 1992 | 15.0 °C |
| 1993 | 16.1 °C |
| 1994 | 16.5 °C |
| 1995 | 16.6 °C |
| 1996 | 15.9 °C |
| 1997 | 15.3 °C |
| 1998 | 18.4 °C |
| 1999 | 17.6 °C |
| 2000 | 16.2 °C |
| 2001 | 17.2 °C |
| 2002 | 17.3 °C |
| 2003 | 16.1 °C |
| 2004 | 16.6 °C |
| 2006 | 17.1 °C |
| 2007 | 17.0 °C |
| 2008 | 16.7 °C |
| 2009 | 16.2 °C |
| 2010 | 19.5 °C |
| 2011 | 18.2 °C |
| 2012 | 18.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1894, Fowler's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Saint Johns (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.