GrowDate Atlas

Calendars by city / MI

Grand Rapids, Michigan vegetable planting calendar

Planting windows for Grand Rapids, Michigan built from the NOAA 1991–2020 freeze normals at GRAND RAPIDS GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MI US (station USW00094860), not from a hardiness zone.

J F M A M J J A S O N D last frost Apr 28 first frost Oct 16 171 frost-free days
Last spring frost, 32°F
Apr 28
First fall frost, 32°F
Oct 16
Last 28°F hard freeze
Apr 15
First 28°F hard freeze
Oct 30
How to read this. The frost dates above are 50% probability dates: in half of the years in the 1991–2020 record, the last 32°F reading at this station came later than the date shown. If your garden is in a low spot, far from the airport, or at a different elevation (this station is at 244.8 m), shift the dates. The planner tool lets you type your own dates.

Grand Rapids, Michigan planting dates for 27 vegetables

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Kohlrabi Lettuce (leaf) Onions (green) Onions (dry, from seed) Onions (dry, from sets) Parsnips Peas Potatoes Radishes Spinach Swiss chard Turnips Snap beans Cantaloupe Sweet corn Cucumbers Eggplant Peppers Tomatoes Summer squash Winter squash Watermelon
start seeds indoors plant outdoors fall sowing (ends at last planting date) frost-free season

The same windows as a table

Each row applies a published extension rule to the frost dates above. Hardy crops go out 2–4 weeks before the last frost; semi-hardy crops 0–2 weeks before; tender crops around the frost date; very tender crops 2 or more weeks after. The last fall planting date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost. The rules and their sources are on the methodology page.

Crop Frost class Start seeds indoors Plant outdoors Last fall planting Days to harvest
Beets Semi-hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Aug 24 60
Broccoli Hardy Feb 10 – Mar 10 Transplant: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 26 65 (from transplant)
Cabbage Hardy Feb 10 – Mar 10 Transplant: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 6 85 (from transplant)
Carrots Semi-hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Aug 14 70
Cauliflower Semi-hardy Feb 24 – Mar 24 Transplant: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Aug 19 65 (from transplant)
Kohlrabi Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Sep 10 50
Lettuce (leaf) Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 31 60
Onions (green) Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 31 60
Onions (dry, from seed) Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Jul 12 110
Onions (dry, from sets) Hardy — (direct sow) Plant sets: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Jul 12 110
Parsnips Semi-hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Aug 14 70
Peas Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 26 65
Potatoes Semi-hardy — (direct sow) Plant seed potatoes: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Jun 20 125
Radishes Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Sep 30 30
Spinach Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Sep 20 40
Swiss chard Semi-hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 14 – Apr 28 Aug 24 60
Turnips Hardy — (direct sow) Direct sow: Mar 31 – Apr 14 Sep 10 50
Snap beans Tender — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 28 – May 5 Aug 17 60
Cantaloupe Very tender Apr 21 – May 12 Direct sow (or transplant): May 12 – May 26 Jul 23 85
Sweet corn Tender — (direct sow) Direct sow: Apr 28 – May 5 Jul 18 60–90
Cucumbers Tender Apr 7 – Apr 21 Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 28 – May 5 Aug 22 55
Eggplant Very tender Mar 10 – Apr 14 Transplant: May 12 – May 26 Aug 17 60 (from transplant)
Peppers Very tender Mar 17 – Apr 14 Transplant: May 12 – May 26 Aug 7 70 (from transplant)
Tomatoes Very tender Mar 24 – Apr 21 Transplant: May 12 – May 26 Aug 12 65 (from transplant)
Summer squash Tender Apr 7 – Apr 21 Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 28 – May 5 Aug 27 50
Winter squash Very tender Apr 21 – May 12 Direct sow (or transplant): May 12 – May 26 Jul 8 100
Watermelon Very tender Apr 21 – May 12 Direct sow (or transplant): May 12 – May 26 Jul 23 85

What the Grand Rapids, Michigan frost-free season means for your choices

At 171 frost-free days, Grand Rapids, Michigan gardeners should compare that number to the days-to-harvest column before buying seed. A crop whose days to harvest plus its transplant age is close to the season length needs either an early start indoors or a short-season variety.

Grand Rapids, MI planting questions

When is the last frost in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

The 50% probability date for the last spring 32°F reading at GRAND RAPIDS GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MI US is Apr 28, from the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. In half the years on that record the last frost came later than that date, so tender crops are safer a week or two after it. The last 28°F hard freeze averages Apr 15.

When can I plant tomatoes in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Tomatoes are a very tender crop, so the Colorado State Extension rule puts them out 2 or more weeks after the last spring frost: May 12 – May 26 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Start the seeds indoors Mar 24 – Apr 21, which is 5 to 7 weeks before that transplant window.

How long is the growing season in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Grand Rapids, Michigan averages 171 frost-free days, between the 50% last spring frost on Apr 28 and the 50% first fall frost on Oct 16 at GRAND RAPIDS GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MI US. Check a variety's days to harvest against that number before buying seed.

When should I start seeds indoors in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

The earliest indoor sowing on this calendar is broccoli and cabbage at Feb 10 – Mar 10. Hardy crops are transplanted out Mar 31 – Apr 14 here, and each crop's indoor window is simply its outdoor window minus the transplant age published by Colorado State Extension, so nothing starts earlier than that.

What can I plant in fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

The crops with a separate fall sowing here, latest first, are radishes, spinach, kohlrabi, turnips, lettuce (leaf) and onions (green), plus 21 more on the chart above. Each fall date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost on Oct 16, plus an allowance for frost-tolerant crops that is our own assumption, not the source's.

Station data and limitations

NOAA stationGRAND RAPIDS GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MI US (USW00094860)
Location42.8825, -85.52389 · elevation 244.8 m
Last spring 32°F / 28°F (50%)Apr 28 / Apr 15
First fall 32°F / 28°F (50%)Oct 16 / Oct 30
DatasetNOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal product, data types ANN-TMIN-PRBLST/PRBFST-T32FP50 and T28FP50
Retrieved2026-10-16

The normals describe the airport station, not your yard. They are averages of a 30-year record and say nothing about this year's weather. Watch the local forecast around the dates shown, and use soil temperature for warm-season crops, which the Colorado State guide treats as the better signal.

Nearby calendars

Read the method behind these dates: last frost date vs hardiness zone.