Lansing, Michigan: planting zone & frost dates
Lansing is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night reaches -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 7 and the first fall frost around Oct 6.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 18 | Sep 29 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 7 | Oct 6 |
| Median (50%) | May 1 | Oct 13 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station LANSING CAPITAL CITY AP, MI (USW00014836), 4.7 mi (7.5 km) from the city center and 13 ft lower than the city center (-4 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 28 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Lansing
All 9 ZIP codes covering Lansing are in zone 6a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Lansing
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 7, first frost Oct 6). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 14 – May 28 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | May 21 – Jun 4 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jul 28 – Aug 25 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 14 – Jun 18 | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 14 – Jun 11 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Cucumber | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 21 – May 28 | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 16 – May 21 | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Onion | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 21 – Jun 4 | May 21 – Jun 11 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | Aug 11 – Sep 8 |
| Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 28 – Aug 25 |
| Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 14 | — | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | Jul 28 – Aug 11 |
| Eggplant | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | May 21 – Jun 4 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | — | Jul 14 – Jul 28 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 2 – May 21 | Aug 25 – Sep 22 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 16 – May 28 | Jul 28 – Aug 11 |
Nearby cities in Michigan
- Flint — zone 6a, last frost May 10, first frost Oct 7
- Ann Arbor — zone 6a, last frost May 11, first frost Oct 4
- Grand Rapids — zone 6a, last frost May 4, first frost Oct 13
- Wyoming — zone 6a, last frost May 4, first frost Oct 13
- Farmington Hills — zone 6a, last frost May 8, first frost Oct 10
- Livonia — zone 6b, last frost May 8, first frost Oct 10
More: all Michigan cities · other zone 6a cities: Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Colorado Springs, CO, Omaha, NE, Aurora, CO, Lincoln, NE, Fort Wayne, IN
Lansing gardening questions
When is the last frost in Lansing, MI?
Plan around May 7. At NOAA's Lansing Capital City Airport, MI station, 4.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by May 1, and after May 18 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 21. The 90% and 10% dates are 30 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Lansing, MI?
Start seeds indoors Mar 12 – Mar 26 and set transplants outside May 14 – May 28, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 152 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Lansing?
About 162 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 141 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 183 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 29 and a 30% chance by Oct 6. That ranks 13th longest of 15 Michigan cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Lansing?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 6): transplant broccoli Jul 14 – Jul 28; sow kale Jul 28 – Aug 25; sow lettuce Jul 28 – Aug 25; sow radishes Aug 25 – Sep 22. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 27. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Lansing's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Lansing was zone 5b on the 2012 map and is zone 6a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Lansing compare with Flint, MI?
Both are in zone 6a. The typical last spring frost in Lansing (May 7) comes about the same time as in Flint, MI (May 10), 49 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 6 versus Oct 7. The two cities use different NOAA stations.