When to plant in Kalkaska, MI
Planting dates worked out from Kalkaska's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 26
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 27
1 year in 10 by Sep 14
Frost-free days
124
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Kalkaska · 0.7 km away · station 316 m, town 315 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 9 – Apr 23 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Aug 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 7 |
| Peas | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 28 – Jun 18 | Jul 17 |
| Carrot | — | May 5 – Jun 16 | Jul 4 |
| Beet | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 19 |
| Potato | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 14 |
| Kale | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Broccoli | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Cucumber | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 19 |
| Winter squash | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Aug 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 28 – Jun 18 | Jul 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 27 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 13 – Oct 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | May 30 |
| Basil | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Jul 31 |
Kalkaska'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 |
|---|---|
| 1991 | May 8 |
| 1992 | Jun 22 |
| 1993 | Jun 4 |
| 1994 | Jun 3 |
| 1995 | May 18 |
| 1996 | May 30 |
| 1997 | May 26 |
| 1998 | Jun 5 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | May 21 |
| 2001 | May 31 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | Jun 1 |
| 2004 | May 29 |
| 2005 | May 17 |
| 2006 | May 23 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 29 |
| 2009 | Jun 4 |
| 2010 | May 16 |
| 2011 | May 27 |
| 2012 | May 18 |
| 2013 | Jun 4 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 19 |
| 2017 | May 20 |
| 2018 | May 12 |
| 2019 | Jun 3 |
| 2020 | May 31 |
| 2021 | May 31 |
| 2022 | May 24 |
| 2023 | May 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | Jun 2 |
| 2026 | May 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 142 |
| 1992 | 92 |
| 1993 | 106 |
| 1994 | 120 |
| 1995 | 114 |
| 1996 | 126 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 109 |
| 1999 | 141 |
| 2000 | 126 |
| 2001 | 105 |
| 2002 | 122 |
| 2003 | 121 |
| 2004 | 122 |
| 2005 | 143 |
| 2006 | 128 |
| 2007 | 148 |
| 2008 | 126 |
| 2009 | 87 |
| 2010 | 125 |
| 2011 | 101 |
| 2012 | 131 |
| 2013 | 101 |
| 2014 | 148 |
| 2015 | 129 |
| 2016 | 155 |
| 2017 | 132 |
| 2018 | 156 |
| 2019 | 123 |
| 2020 | 109 |
| 2021 | 139 |
| 2022 | 121 |
| 2023 | 115 |
| 2024 | 161 |
| 2025 | 127 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.5 °C |
| 1992 | 12.3 °C |
| 1993 | 13.3 °C |
| 1994 | 13.9 °C |
| 1995 | 14.2 °C |
| 1996 | 13.2 °C |
| 1997 | 12.8 °C |
| 1998 | 15.3 °C |
| 1999 | 15.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.1 °C |
| 2001 | 14.9 °C |
| 2002 | 14.6 °C |
| 2003 | 13.7 °C |
| 2004 | 13.6 °C |
| 2005 | 15.4 °C |
| 2006 | 14.8 °C |
| 2007 | 14.7 °C |
| 2008 | 14.2 °C |
| 2009 | 13.2 °C |
| 2010 | 15.5 °C |
| 2011 | 14.5 °C |
| 2012 | 15.1 °C |
| 2013 | 14.1 °C |
| 2014 | 13.7 °C |
| 2015 | 14.9 °C |
| 2016 | 15.2 °C |
| 2017 | 14.8 °C |
| 2018 | 15.0 °C |
| 2019 | 13.8 °C |
| 2020 | 14.3 °C |
| 2021 | 15.0 °C |
| 2022 | 14.6 °C |
| 2023 | 15.0 °C |
| 2024 | 15.6 °C |
| 2025 | 14.5 °C |
| 2026 | 15.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1991, Kalkaska's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Kalkaska (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.