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When to plant in Wayland, MI

Planting dates worked out from Wayland's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyApr 159 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalApr 30about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outMay 161 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

  1. EarlyOct 11 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalOct 14about half of years have had frost
  3. LateOct 269 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 166 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Grand Rapids · 25.8 km away · station 267 m, town 235 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Mar 21 – Apr 4 May 16 – May 30 Jul 10
Sweet pepper Mar 7 – Mar 21 May 16 – May 30 Jul 15
Lettuce (leaf) Feb 28 – Mar 7 Apr 4 – Apr 18 May 14
Peas — Apr 4 – May 2 May 29
Bush beans — May 9 – May 30 Jun 28
Carrot — Apr 14 – May 26 Jun 13
Beet — Apr 14 – May 26 Jun 3
Potato — Apr 14 – May 5 Jun 23
Kale Feb 28 – Mar 14 Apr 11 – Apr 25 May 24
Broccoli Feb 21 – Mar 7 Apr 4 – Apr 25 Jun 3
Cucumber Apr 18 – Apr 25 May 16 – May 30 Jul 5
Summer squash and zucchini Apr 18 – Apr 25 May 16 – May 30 Jun 30
Winter squash Apr 18 – Apr 25 May 16 – May 30 Aug 4
Sweet corn — May 9 – May 30 Jul 8
Onion (from sets) — Apr 4 – Apr 25 Jul 3
Garlic — Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Apr 4 – May 2 May 12
Basil Apr 4 – Apr 18 May 16 – May 30 Jul 12

Plan all 65 crops for Wayland

Wayland's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Apr 15May 1May 15 197019801990200020102020
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1964Apr 24
1965Apr 29
1966May 10
1967May 12
1968May 6
1969May 23
1970May 6
1971May 13
1972May 10
1973May 18
1974May 10
1975Apr 26
1976May 12
1977May 10
1978May 3
1979May 5
1980May 9
1981May 12
1982Apr 28
1983May 17
1984May 16
1985Apr 10
1986May 3
1987May 5
1988Apr 25
1989May 8
1990May 2
1991Apr 12
1992May 25
1993Apr 27
1994May 4
1995Apr 24
1996May 13
1997May 16
1998Apr 28
1999Apr 25
2000Apr 13
2001Apr 19
2002May 20
2003May 3
2004May 4
2005May 4
2006Apr 26
2007Apr 15
2008Apr 30
2009Apr 23
2010May 10
2011Apr 18
2012Apr 29
2013May 13
2014May 16
2015Apr 24
2016Apr 13
2017May 9
2018Apr 30
2019Apr 15
2020May 13
2021May 7
2022Apr 28
2023Apr 27
2024Apr 25

What this means for you: Since 1964, Wayland's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Grand Rapids (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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