What to plant this week in Detroit, MI
With frost officially ending on April 21, Detroit gardeners can finally transition from indoor starts to the open ground as temperatures stabilize above -5°F. This week marks a critical shift for our Metro Area residents: while cool-season crops like garlic need immediate attention, it is also prime time to plant heat-loving staples such as bush beans and cucumbers before our typical late-spring temperature swings.
The next 7 days
Detroit, MIGrowing in Detroit right now
- Protect new transplants from the city's notorious 'April showers' and cold snaps by using row covers until the soil consistently warms past 60°F. Detroit's clay-heavy soils near the river benefit from a light application of compost this week to improve drainage before planting heavy feeders like squash and corn.
- Take advantage of the long daylight hours in late May to sow fast-maturing bush beans and pole beans directly into raised beds, ensuring they get off to a strong start before summer heat intensifies.
- If you are growing edible flowers like cosmos or zinnia for pollinators, thin seedlings carefully now; these blooms thrive in our local microclimates but require consistent moisture retention during dry spells.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
41 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and cucumbers every two weeks for continuous harvests through August.
- Mulch heavily around young transplants and newly planted garlic to retain moisture as daytime temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tips of bush beans and zucchini plants once they reach 6 inches to encourage branching and heavier fruit production.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites may begin appearing on the undersides of basil and sunflower leaves as humidity dips in late spring.
- Watch for early aphid colonies clustering on new growth of edamame, sweet corn, and scarlet runner beans.
- Slugs remain active in damp Detroit soil patches, particularly targeting young lettuce or leafy greens if they were started indoors.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants early in the morning to reduce evaporation and prevent fungal diseases.
Harvest zucchini and summer squash frequently when they are small (6 inches) to signal the plant to keep producing fruit.
Detroit gardening questions
3Can I plant watermelon and cantaloupe seeds directly into the ground this week?
Yes, provided you wait for a warm spell above 60°F as our last frost date is April 21; these melons need full sun and won't tolerate cold soil. Start them indoors if there is any lingering threat of rain or temperatures dropping near zero.
My garlic was planted in winter, but the shoots look stunted—should I fertilize now?
Apply a balanced organic fertilizer lightly around the base of your garlic cloves to encourage top growth before they bolt. Avoid heavy nitrogen which can cause excessive leaf growth at the expense of bulb size later this summer.
Is it safe to transplant okra and southern peas into the garden right now?
Absolutely, these warm-weather crops thrive in Detroit's zone 6b climate once the danger of frost has passed. Ensure the planting holes are well-drained since heavy clay can waterlog their roots if planted too deep or during rainy periods.
Other cities in zone 6b
12See the full zone 6b guide → · Plan your Detroit garden in SproutGuide →