METRO DETROIT, MI – Ready, set, dig.
Well, maybe not just quite yet.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the last date for a frost in Metro Detroit usually falls around April 22. That source says There’s a 50 percent probability that frosty weather is over until fall, when the first killing frost usually falls around Oct. 23.
But can you trust that?
Michigan State University is more conservative about the threat of a frost. There’s a 75 percent probability the last frost will occur on April 25, a 50 percent probability it will be May 3 and a 25 percent probability it will be May 11.
A frost isn’t something you want to risk with young garden plants.
A light freeze — 29 to 32 degrees — will kill tender plants, and a moderate freeze — 25 to 28 degrees will be widely destructive to most vegetation. And a severe freeze — 24 degrees and colder — well, you don’t want to know. (If you do want to know, expect heavy damage to most plants.
But if the gardening bug has bitten, there are tasks you can be taking care of in the garden right now, according to MSU. You can plant cool season crops like onions, beets, lettuce, spinach, carrots and radishes soon as the soil is dry enough. To test the readiness, take a handful of dirt in your hand and squeeze; if it crumbles when you open your hand, it’s ready for planting.
Here are the ideal planting dates from some common garden fruits and vegetables, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
Green beans: Mid-May to mid-June
Beets: Mid-April through the end of June
Broccoli: April and May
Brussels sprouts: Mid-March through mid-May
Cabbage: April and May
Carrots: April, May and June
Cauliflower: Mid-March through mid-may
Celery: Mid-May through June
Corn: Mid-May through Mid-June
Cucumber: Mid-May through Mid-June
Garlic: October, November and December
Eggplant: Mid-May through mid-June
Kale: April and May
Leek: April and May
Lettuce: Mid-March through Mid-September
Melon: Mid-May through June
Okra: Mid-May through June
Onion: Mid-March through mid-June
Parsnip: Mid-April through mid-June
Peas: April through June
Pepper: May and June
Potatoes: April through June
Pumpkin: Mid-May through June
Radish: March through mid-October
Squash (summer): Mid-May through June
Sweet potato: Mid-May through June
Swiss chard: Mid-May through mid-August
Tomato: May and June
Watermelon: Mid-May through June
Image credit: Jo Ann Deasy Via Flickr / Creative Commons
- What you should do in your garden right now - the crucial jobs to prepare for winter
- Gardening: Carol Klein shares ‘traditional’ newspaper hack for protecting plants from cold
- Is there ever a safe time to mow your lawn in winter? Expert weather warning
- Gardening: ‘Most important’ area of the garden to prepare for winter - ‘best advice’
- How to protect plants from frost over the winter
- ‘Protect from the cold!’ Monty Don shares how to help plants withstand frosts this autumn
- Gardening: ‘Put off pruning’ until after autumn - how to prepare your garden before winter
- What fruit and vegetables can be planted in October? Best winter greens to plant right now
- ‘Budget goes so much further!’ Gardening expert explains why to plant fruit trees ‘now’
- Gardening jobs for November: 10 Flowers and vegetables to sow to get ahead next spring
- Gardening expert shares best way to kill large quantities of perennial weeds
- Monty Don: Sow sweet peas now to get ‘bigger’ and ‘stronger’ plants next spring
- Daffodils & tulips: ‘Now is the time’ to plant - how to produce colourful flowers
- What to sow in November? Full list of plants to kickstart your winter garden
- How to get rid of weeds: Mark Lane's DIY leaf mould remedy to kill weeds and feed plants
- ‘Frighten them off’: How to protect your plants from squirrels ruining them - ‘nuisance’
- Peace lilies: Houseplant expert shares why your plant has ‘wilted’ and ‘brown’ leaves
- LSU Garden News: Strawberries are an $8 million industry in Louisiana; you can grow your own
- Snake plant: How to care for low maintenance houseplant - ‘keep it super happy’
- Orchid care: Houseplant expert warns against using orchid watering ‘myth’ - ‘shocks plant’
When Will Threat of Frost Pass So It's Safe to Plant Garden? have 667 words, post on patch.com at April 23, 2016. This is cached page on Business News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.