When to plant in Three Oaks, MI
Planting dates worked out from Three Oaks's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 18
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 31
1 year in 10 by Oct 14
Frost-free days
194
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Laporte · 23.0 km away · station 247 m, town 211 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 6 – Mar 20 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 25 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 30 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 24 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | May 28 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 19 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 20 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 15 |
| Winter squash | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 1 – May 15 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 10 – Nov 7 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 7 |
| Basil | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 27 |
Three Oaks'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 |
|---|---|
| 1898 | Apr 8 |
| 1899 | Apr 16 |
| 1900 | May 10 |
| 1949 | Apr 25 |
| 1950 | Apr 28 |
| 1951 | Apr 23 |
| 1952 | Apr 16 |
| 1953 | Apr 21 |
| 1954 | May 10 |
| 1955 | May 9 |
| 1956 | Apr 23 |
| 1957 | Apr 15 |
| 1958 | Apr 30 |
| 1959 | Apr 23 |
| 1960 | Apr 18 |
| 1961 | May 27 |
| 1962 | Apr 20 |
| 1963 | May 1 |
| 1964 | Apr 9 |
| 1965 | Apr 29 |
| 1966 | May 29 |
| 1967 | May 5 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1971 | Apr 27 |
| 1972 | Apr 26 |
| 1973 | May 17 |
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 8 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 1 |
| 1979 | May 1 |
| 1980 | Apr 25 |
| 1981 | Apr 21 |
| 1982 | Apr 21 |
| 1983 | Apr 20 |
| 1984 | Apr 7 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | Apr 23 |
| 1987 | Apr 9 |
| 1988 | Apr 19 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Apr 11 |
| 1992 | Apr 13 |
| 1993 | Apr 5 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 10 |
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 6 |
| 1999 | Mar 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 11 |
| 2010 | Apr 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 23 |
| 2017 | Apr 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 20 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 12 |
| 2026 | May 2 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1899 | 166 |
| 1900 | 142 |
| 1949 | 157 |
| 1950 | 148 |
| 1951 | 158 |
| 1952 | 169 |
| 1953 | 168 |
| 1954 | 161 |
| 1955 | 165 |
| 1956 | 169 |
| 1957 | 179 |
| 1958 | 154 |
| 1959 | 171 |
| 1960 | 184 |
| 1961 | 124 |
| 1962 | 186 |
| 1963 | 185 |
| 1964 | 179 |
| 1965 | 158 |
| 1966 | 125 |
| 1967 | 167 |
| 1968 | 176 |
| 1969 | 167 |
| 1971 | 190 |
| 1972 | 174 |
| 1973 | 171 |
| 1974 | 147 |
| 1975 | 191 |
| 1976 | 162 |
| 1977 | 155 |
| 1978 | 168 |
| 1979 | 175 |
| 1980 | 169 |
| 1981 | 184 |
| 1982 | 178 |
| 1983 | 176 |
| 1984 | 208 |
| 1985 | 213 |
| 1986 | 192 |
| 1987 | 198 |
| 1988 | 187 |
| 1989 | 154 |
| 1990 | 187 |
| 1991 | 187 |
| 1992 | 186 |
| 1993 | 207 |
| 1994 | 201 |
| 1995 | 205 |
| 1996 | 186 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 210 |
| 1999 | 221 |
| 2000 | 214 |
| 2001 | 248 |
| 2002 | 173 |
| 2004 | 191 |
| 2005 | 190 |
| 2008 | 181 |
| 2009 | 214 |
| 2011 | 208 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 197 |
| 2015 | 198 |
| 2016 | 202 |
| 2017 | 200 |
| 2018 | 175 |
| 2019 | 185 |
| 2020 | 171 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 175 |
| 2023 | 188 |
| 2024 | 208 |
| 2025 | 195 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 16.2 °C |
| 1898 | 19.0 °C |
| 1899 | 21.3 °C |
| 1948 | 18.1 °C |
| 1949 | 17.9 °C |
| 1950 | 16.4 °C |
| 1951 | 16.8 °C |
| 1952 | 18.7 °C |
| 1953 | 18.7 °C |
| 1954 | 18.5 °C |
| 1955 | 19.8 °C |
| 1956 | 18.4 °C |
| 1957 | 18.2 °C |
| 1958 | 17.7 °C |
| 1959 | 19.5 °C |
| 1960 | 18.2 °C |
| 1961 | 17.4 °C |
| 1962 | 18.2 °C |
| 1963 | 17.6 °C |
| 1964 | 18.6 °C |
| 1965 | 18.1 °C |
| 1966 | 17.3 °C |
| 1967 | 17.0 °C |
| 1968 | 18.4 °C |
| 1969 | 18.2 °C |
| 1970 | 18.9 °C |
| 1971 | 18.1 °C |
| 1972 | 17.6 °C |
| 1974 | 17.9 °C |
| 1975 | 18.3 °C |
| 1976 | 18.2 °C |
| 1977 | 19.6 °C |
| 1978 | 18.4 °C |
| 1979 | 17.4 °C |
| 1980 | 18.2 °C |
| 1981 | 17.5 °C |
| 1982 | 17.5 °C |
| 1983 | 18.5 °C |
| 1984 | 17.7 °C |
| 1985 | 18.5 °C |
| 1986 | 18.4 °C |
| 1987 | 19.3 °C |
| 1988 | 19.1 °C |
| 1989 | 17.4 °C |
| 1990 | 17.4 °C |
| 1991 | 19.7 °C |
| 1992 | 16.3 °C |
| 1993 | 17.6 °C |
| 1994 | 17.8 °C |
| 1995 | 18.6 °C |
| 1996 | 17.3 °C |
| 1997 | 16.8 °C |
| 1998 | 19.4 °C |
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 17.9 °C |
| 2001 | 18.9 °C |
| 2002 | 18.9 °C |
| 2004 | 17.9 °C |
| 2005 | 19.4 °C |
| 2007 | 19.0 °C |
| 2008 | 18.1 °C |
| 2009 | 17.5 °C |
| 2010 | 19.8 °C |
| 2011 | 18.0 °C |
| 2012 | 19.0 °C |
| 2013 | 17.7 °C |
| 2014 | 17.4 °C |
| 2015 | 18.3 °C |
| 2016 | 19.0 °C |
| 2017 | 18.4 °C |
| 2018 | 18.7 °C |
| 2019 | 18.3 °C |
| 2020 | 18.4 °C |
| 2021 | 18.9 °C |
| 2022 | 18.4 °C |
| 2023 | 18.4 °C |
| 2024 | 19.3 °C |
| 2025 | 18.7 °C |
| 2026 | 19.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1898, Three Oaks's last spring frost has come about 1 day 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 Laporte (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.