started these seeds last Monday, so its been 6 days. This is the first time planting in michigan, and I thought I was following the guide where Id be about 6 weeks before the last frost. but based on what I'm seeing here, I might have waited a bit long.
I have watermelon, pickle cucumbers, 2 kinds of tomatoes (roma and san marzano), and peppers(not yet germinated :/ )
I plan to get some strawberry plants and perhaps try a grape or blueberry, but no seeds for those.
I hope I'm not seriously late! my garden sprouts
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rainbowgardener
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You didn't say where you are in MI and it makes a difference re whether or not you are (much) late getting started.
https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-mi ... te-map.php
this shows Detroit, Ann Arbor, and various other MI places with average last frost dates of Apr 21-30. But Sault St Marie for example has average last frost date range of May 21 - May 31, a whole month later.
But for theoretical purposes, I will assume the earlier dates, which is about a week to ten days later than mine.
In that case, you are not late on the watermelons and cucumbers and may well be early. They are the warmest of warm weather crops, that can't go in the ground until the soil is well warmed up, probably at least a couple weeks after your last frost date. They are quick growing and you will be wondering what to do with big vines, before you can plant them. Many people just plant those seeds directly in the ground once the soil is well warmed up.
Tomatoes I usually start 7 -8 weeks ahead of my average last frost date. So depending on which end of the range you use and whether you count 7 or 8 weeks, you are any where from 2 to 4 weeks behind when I would have started them (if I were in your area). Not serious. You just won't win the race to have the earliest ripe tomato on the block.
The peppers are the most seriously behind. As you have seen already, peppers are slower to germinate than tomatoes and once germinated they are slower to grow and to produce. For my Apr 15 last frost date I start peppers no later than the first week in Feb; this year I planted them the end of Jan. For you, ideal would have been mid to late Feb and you are a month or more late in planting them. It is likely to mean that you won't see harvestable green peppers until close to August. That leaves you a short season for production, given that your first frost date in fall will be earlier than mine. Just to have a longer pepper season, you might want to buy one pepper plant, when your weather is warm enough to plant it.
Course if you happen to live in Sault St Marie, you would have to correct all this for your later frost date...
https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-mi ... te-map.php
this shows Detroit, Ann Arbor, and various other MI places with average last frost dates of Apr 21-30. But Sault St Marie for example has average last frost date range of May 21 - May 31, a whole month later.
But for theoretical purposes, I will assume the earlier dates, which is about a week to ten days later than mine.
In that case, you are not late on the watermelons and cucumbers and may well be early. They are the warmest of warm weather crops, that can't go in the ground until the soil is well warmed up, probably at least a couple weeks after your last frost date. They are quick growing and you will be wondering what to do with big vines, before you can plant them. Many people just plant those seeds directly in the ground once the soil is well warmed up.
Tomatoes I usually start 7 -8 weeks ahead of my average last frost date. So depending on which end of the range you use and whether you count 7 or 8 weeks, you are any where from 2 to 4 weeks behind when I would have started them (if I were in your area). Not serious. You just won't win the race to have the earliest ripe tomato on the block.
The peppers are the most seriously behind. As you have seen already, peppers are slower to germinate than tomatoes and once germinated they are slower to grow and to produce. For my Apr 15 last frost date I start peppers no later than the first week in Feb; this year I planted them the end of Jan. For you, ideal would have been mid to late Feb and you are a month or more late in planting them. It is likely to mean that you won't see harvestable green peppers until close to August. That leaves you a short season for production, given that your first frost date in fall will be earlier than mine. Just to have a longer pepper season, you might want to buy one pepper plant, when your weather is warm enough to plant it.
Course if you happen to live in Sault St Marie, you would have to correct all this for your later frost date...
awesome info. I am in detroit infact. I ordered a few 6" pots to move these into once they get a set of leaves, and I have a south facing sunroom in the back that I will put those into.
Last year I planted the same things, but in georgia, but there was not enough sun for them to thrive, too many trees overhead. What did grow got quickly eaten by deer.
despite the much smaller backyard and more suburban enviroment, I'm hopeful for my first decent harvest. I will plant corn as well, and maybe some root crops... potatoes, onions, ect.
Last year I planted the same things, but in georgia, but there was not enough sun for them to thrive, too many trees overhead. What did grow got quickly eaten by deer.
despite the much smaller backyard and more suburban enviroment, I'm hopeful for my first decent harvest. I will plant corn as well, and maybe some root crops... potatoes, onions, ect.
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rainbowgardener
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
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that is what I am quickly realizing. I need to assemble my new harbor freight trailer, get up to lowes and pick up some lumber to build some raised beds, and soil to fill it with. I might have found some compost avail on craigslist, but the soil looks like it will have to be bags (all I find is fill dirt in large quantity).
Forecast is in the 40's this weekend, so Ill probably just do enough to get these guys into the ground, build the other beds for the warmer stuff in a week or 2.
Forecast is in the 40's this weekend, so Ill probably just do enough to get these guys into the ground, build the other beds for the warmer stuff in a week or 2.
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rainbowgardener
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
my raised beds are built of stacked 4" x 4" pine fence posts, held together with steel rebar pounded down through the stack (drill a hole first! 
). I really recommend this. My beds are now 12 years old and going strong. Where I lived before, I built raised beds out of boards and despite being thick boards with lots of bracing, they fell apart in about three years. The fence posts are cheap too!
). I really recommend this. My beds are now 12 years old and going strong. Where I lived before, I built raised beds out of boards and despite being thick boards with lots of bracing, they fell apart in about three years. The fence posts are cheap too!