Prepare Your Southern Michigan Garden for Planting in May
March 10, 2024
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March 27, 2024
We are so excited about spring planting here in the Downriver region of southern Michigan! The sun, the colors, the flowers! Can you tell that we’re over winter?
But if your plants are to survive and thrive, then you need to know southern Michigan’s spring planting calendar and what growing zone you’re in.
What Growing Zone is Michigan In
What growing zone you’re in largely determines what you can plant outside and when. As with so much in life, this is complicated.
Michigan has six growing zones (told you it was complicated). The northwest part of Michigan has the following growing zones: 4a, 4b, and 5a. The far northern part of Michigan is in 4b, 5a, with a bit of 5b as you move south toward the middle of the state. Southern Michigan is in growing zones 6a with a little 6b in Wayne County, Michigan.
When is Michigan’s Spring Frost Date
On average, the spring’s last frost date for Michigan is April 28th. As a reminder, a frost date is the average calendar day of the “last light freeze” in the spring or fall. Light freezes, which are around 29° to 32° Fahrenheit, can kill young plants.
What to Plant in March
March is still quite cold in Michigan. But, that doesn’t have to stop your spring gardening. In fact, March in Michigan is the perfect time to start your seedlings indoors. Here are some planting ideas for you.
Vegetables to Plant
Start cold-hardy plants such as peas, carrots, turnips, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, kale, collard greens, onions, mustard greens, beets, radish, celery, and onions. Also, don’t forget to plant herbs too, including thyme, sage, and oregano.
Baby your baby plants inside until your outside soil reaches 50° Fahrenheit.
Flowers to Plant
Cold-hardy flowers are your best friends during the early spring planting in Michigan. Plant pansies and violas for bright pops of color as hanging basket flowers, window box flowers, or bedding flowers. As long as the average temperature is around 40° Fahrenheit, then these delicate, yet tough, flowers should be fine.
Also, consider planting flowers that aren’t scared of heavy rainfall such as garden phlox, lupine, and astilbe.
What to Plant in April
April is one of our favorite times for spring gardening, because you can transplant some young plants outside and start other plants indoors.
Vegetables to Plant
During April, you can transplant many of the seedlings you started in March to the outdoors. If you’re sowing directly into the ground, then consider planting arugula, asparagus, beets, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, chives, collard greens, dill, fava beans, lettuce, leaks, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, turnips, and potatoes.
Flowers to Plant
Some of the best flowers to plant in Michigan in the spring are those that have some cold tolerance to them (just in case we have a late frost) and have bright colors to wipe away the gray of winter. Consider planting ranunculus, osteospermum, dianthus, foxgloves, and geraniums.
What to Plant in May
May’s spring gardening motto is “Just plant it.” Whatever you want to plant–your favorite flowers, new plants you want to try, veggies you don’t particularly like but know are healthy for you, etc.–you can plant it all. Below are some planting suggestions.
Vegetables to Plant
May in Michigan means that it’s time to take any seedlings you have left inside and kick them out of the house. They’ve got to grow up at some point. It’ll be good for them.
Some May seedlings you could have include: peppers, okra, oregano, pumpkins, rosemary, sage, thyme, tomatoes, zucchinis, winter squashes, and watermelons.
For spring gardening, consider sowing the following directly outside: basil, bok choy, cantaloupes, cilantro, cucumbers, dry beans, fennel, green beans, melons, zucchinis, winter squashes, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and sweet corn.
Flowers to Plant
For May flower planting in Michigan, you want something that will thrive throughout the late spring and into the heat of summer. Some great flowers to plant in May are petunias, salvia, marigolds, coneflowers, asters, alliums (which are deer resistant!), and coreopsis.
Spring Gardening Tasks
Spring gardening doesn’t just mean planting seeds. There are gardening tasks that you must attend to as well!
- Plan your garden and map out what plants you want and where you want them. You can check out our March gardening to-do list to help you.
- Test your soil to see if it has the nutrients and organic matter that your plants will need this spring, summer, and fall. You can buy a soil testing kit that will show your soil’s pH level and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. This will tell you if, and how, you need to amend your soil. It can feel a little overwhelming at first, but we promise that it’s not.
Plus, you can call us at Schwartz’s Greenhouse or come by, and we’ll be happy to help you. We’ve got all the dirt on dirt.
Visit Schwartz’s Greenhouse for Your Spring Gardening Needs
Schwartz’s Greenhouse has everything you need for spring gardening including soil, fertilizers, seeds, vegetable plants, and award-winning flowers grown locally in Michigan. We’re also happy to help you with all of your gardening questions. What can we say? We’re gardening nerds!
