When to plant sweet corn in Detroit
Sweet corn is frost-tender, so every date keys off Detroit's last spring frost of Apr 15.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
May 31 – Jun 21
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jul 30 – Sep 8
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 100 d
Detroit's 194-day season leaves this much room.
Sweet corn on Detroit's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
HARVEST
APR 15
OCT 31
Common questions
When can I sow sweet corn outdoors in Detroit?
Direct-sow around late May (May 31–Jun 21) in Detroit, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When will sweet corn be ready to harvest in Detroit?
Expect to harvest from around late July (Jul 30–Sep 8) in Detroit, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 79%.
How long is the growing season in Detroit?
Detroit has roughly 194 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow sweet corn to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow sweet corn 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Detroit's frost dates.
Confidence 88/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.