When to plant in Hartford, MI
Planting dates worked out from Hartford's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 28
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 11
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 14
1 year in 10 by Oct 2
Frost-free days
156
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Benton Harbor · 22.2 km away · station 195 m, town 201 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 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 9 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 23 |
| Peas | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 27 |
| Bush beans | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 10 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 3 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 26 |
| Broccoli | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 12 |
| Cucumber | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 12 |
| Winter squash | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Aug 16 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jul 12 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 10 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 24 |
Hartford'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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | May 22 |
| 1998 | Jun 8 |
| 1999 | May 1 |
| 2000 | Apr 30 |
| 2001 | May 13 |
| 2002 | May 26 |
| 2003 | Jun 2 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 23 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 29 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | Apr 29 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | May 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 24 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | May 14 |
| 2022 | Apr 20 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 147 |
| 1998 | 135 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 2000 | 164 |
| 2001 | 146 |
| 2002 | 140 |
| 2003 | 121 |
| 2004 | 148 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 141 |
| 2007 | 162 |
| 2008 | 127 |
| 2009 | 135 |
| 2010 | 146 |
| 2011 | 149 |
| 2012 | 171 |
| 2013 | 167 |
| 2014 | 145 |
| 2015 | 170 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 170 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 183 |
| 2020 | 171 |
| 2021 | 165 |
| 2022 | 189 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 184 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 14.9 °C |
| 1998 | 17.4 °C |
| 1999 | 18.0 °C |
| 2000 | 16.2 °C |
| 2001 | 16.7 °C |
| 2002 | 16.8 °C |
| 2003 | 15.7 °C |
| 2004 | 16.2 °C |
| 2005 | 17.5 °C |
| 2006 | 16.5 °C |
| 2007 | 17.2 °C |
| 2008 | 16.3 °C |
| 2009 | 15.9 °C |
| 2010 | 18.4 °C |
| 2011 | 17.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.1 °C |
| 2013 | 16.9 °C |
| 2014 | 16.0 °C |
| 2015 | 17.0 °C |
| 2016 | 18.3 °C |
| 2017 | 17.6 °C |
| 2018 | 17.9 °C |
| 2019 | 17.5 °C |
| 2020 | 17.5 °C |
| 2021 | 18.3 °C |
| 2022 | 17.6 °C |
| 2023 | 17.4 °C |
| 2024 | 19.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Benton Harbor (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.