Will Sweet Corn Ripen in New Mexico?
Yes, sweet corn ripens reliably across most of New Mexico. The state’s frost-free stretch, measured at the reference weather station, runs roughly 200 to…
Gardening in New Mexico
Everything we have worked out for New Mexico: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Albuquerque, the last spring freeze runs March 31 to April 12 and the first fall freeze runs October 29 to November 9, USDA zones 4b-9a, 4,341 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in New Mexico: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in New Mexico
Soil in most New Mexico gardens needs to hold steady above 60°F before sweet corn seed will sprout reliably, and that threshold arrives well after the…
When to Sow Autumn Spinach in New Mexico
In Albuquerque, autumn spinach goes into the ground once soil temperatures drop back below 80°F, generally in the back half of August through…
Will Spinach Bolt Early in New Mexico?
Spinach will bolt early in Albuquerque and across most of New Mexico, and it isn’t just the heat to blame.
Will New Mexico Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Yes, in most New Mexico gardens the ground itself won’t be the reason an asparagus bed fails before its time.
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in New Mexico
Plant asparagus crowns in New Mexico in early spring, timed around the region’s typical last frost window, setting each crown into an 8-inch furrow.
Growing Sweet Corn in New Mexico: Will It Ripen?
New Mexico’s high desert gives sweet corn plenty of room to mature, but only if you wait for the soil, not the calendar.
Growing Asparagus in New Mexico: Fifteen Years in One Spot
Asparagus can work in New Mexico for the full 10 to 15 years a bed is expected to produce, and the state’s representative soil gives that plan a…
When to Sow Pumpkins in New Mexico
In most New Mexico gardens, pumpkin seed goes into the ground once soil holds at 65 F, usually well into spring, with harvest wrapping up before the…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in New Mexico?
Yes, but only if flowering happens on time. New Mexico’s first fall frost typically lands between October 29 and November 9, and a pumpkin needs 45 to 55…