When to plant in Lake Odessa, MI
Planting dates worked out from Lake Odessa's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 27
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 7
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 24
Frost-free days
152
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ionia 2ssw · 19.4 km away · station 245 m, town 263 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 1 – Apr 15 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 26 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 19 |
| Peas | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Jun 2 |
| Bush beans | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 9 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jun 17 |
| Beet | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jun 7 |
| Potato | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 27 |
| Kale | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 28 |
| Broccoli | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| Cucumber | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 16 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 11 |
| Winter squash | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jul 19 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 8 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | May 16 |
| Basil | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 |
Lake Odessa'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 |
|---|---|
| 1897 | Jun 2 |
| 1898 | May 13 |
| 1900 | May 10 |
| 1901 | May 15 |
| 1943 | May 4 |
| 1945 | Apr 29 |
| 1946 | May 13 |
| 1947 | May 11 |
| 1948 | Apr 17 |
| 1949 | May 25 |
| 1950 | May 8 |
| 1951 | May 13 |
| 1953 | Apr 28 |
| 1954 | May 21 |
| 1955 | May 9 |
| 1956 | May 8 |
| 1957 | May 5 |
| 1959 | May 16 |
| 1960 | May 8 |
| 1961 | May 30 |
| 1962 | Apr 20 |
| 1963 | Jun 22 |
| 1965 | May 30 |
| 1966 | May 29 |
| 1967 | May 16 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | May 21 |
| 1970 | May 6 |
| 1971 | May 22 |
| 1972 | Jun 11 |
| 1973 | May 18 |
| 1974 | May 10 |
| 1975 | Apr 26 |
| 1976 | May 12 |
| 1977 | May 11 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 17 |
| 1984 | May 15 |
| 1985 | May 28 |
| 1986 | May 3 |
| 1988 | Apr 24 |
| 1989 | May 10 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1992 | May 27 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | May 27 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | May 30 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | May 3 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | May 22 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | May 28 |
| 2009 | May 18 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 21 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 110 |
| 1898 | 120 |
| 1900 | 142 |
| 1901 | 126 |
| 1943 | 129 |
| 1945 | 153 |
| 1946 | 112 |
| 1947 | 134 |
| 1948 | 169 |
| 1949 | 143 |
| 1950 | 138 |
| 1951 | 138 |
| 1955 | 126 |
| 1956 | 135 |
| 1957 | 144 |
| 1959 | 122 |
| 1960 | 145 |
| 1961 | 121 |
| 1962 | 138 |
| 1963 | 83 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 119 |
| 1967 | 129 |
| 1968 | 167 |
| 1969 | 146 |
| 1970 | 145 |
| 1971 | 162 |
| 1972 | 119 |
| 1973 | 153 |
| 1974 | 134 |
| 1975 | 140 |
| 1976 | 132 |
| 1977 | 148 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1983 | 126 |
| 1984 | 112 |
| 1985 | 140 |
| 1986 | 158 |
| 1988 | 162 |
| 1992 | 118 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 135 |
| 1995 | 151 |
| 1996 | 125 |
| 1997 | 152 |
| 1998 | 176 |
| 1999 | 164 |
| 2000 | 175 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 146 |
| 2003 | 151 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 165 |
| 2006 | 142 |
| 2007 | 193 |
| 2008 | 128 |
| 2009 | 135 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2011 | 183 |
| 2012 | 161 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 16.4 °C |
| 1898 | 16.8 °C |
| 1900 | 17.9 °C |
| 1901 | 18.2 °C |
| 1943 | 15.8 °C |
| 1945 | 16.4 °C |
| 1946 | 16.6 °C |
| 1947 | 16.8 °C |
| 1948 | 18.1 °C |
| 1949 | 18.2 °C |
| 1950 | 16.5 °C |
| 1951 | 16.8 °C |
| 1953 | 17.6 °C |
| 1955 | 19.0 °C |
| 1956 | 16.7 °C |
| 1957 | 17.4 °C |
| 1958 | 16.2 °C |
| 1959 | 18.0 °C |
| 1960 | 16.6 °C |
| 1961 | 16.1 °C |
| 1962 | 16.3 °C |
| 1963 | 16.3 °C |
| 1965 | 16.2 °C |
| 1966 | 15.7 °C |
| 1967 | 15.7 °C |
| 1968 | 16.6 °C |
| 1969 | 16.5 °C |
| 1970 | 17.2 °C |
| 1971 | 16.9 °C |
| 1972 | 16.0 °C |
| 1973 | 17.8 °C |
| 1974 | 16.8 °C |
| 1975 | 17.0 °C |
| 1976 | 17.1 °C |
| 1977 | 18.4 °C |
| 1978 | 17.4 °C |
| 1982 | 15.8 °C |
| 1983 | 16.4 °C |
| 1984 | 15.7 °C |
| 1985 | 16.2 °C |
| 1986 | 16.6 °C |
| 1987 | 17.8 °C |
| 1988 | 17.5 °C |
| 1990 | 16.1 °C |
| 1992 | 14.7 °C |
| 1993 | 15.8 °C |
| 1994 | 16.4 °C |
| 1995 | 16.5 °C |
| 1996 | 15.8 °C |
| 1997 | 15.3 °C |
| 1998 | 18.1 °C |
| 1999 | 17.2 °C |
| 2000 | 16.1 °C |
| 2001 | 17.0 °C |
| 2002 | 17.1 °C |
| 2003 | 16.0 °C |
| 2004 | 16.3 °C |
| 2005 | 17.7 °C |
| 2006 | 17.0 °C |
| 2007 | 17.1 °C |
| 2008 | 16.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.7 °C |
| 2010 | 18.1 °C |
| 2011 | 16.6 °C |
| 2012 | 17.4 °C |
| 2013 | 16.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1897, Lake Odessa's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ionia 2ssw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.