When to Start Pepper Seed in New Mexico
In New Mexico, start pepper seed indoors 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to transplant, timing that transplant date to the point after the last frost when…
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.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in New Mexico
New Mexico’s high desert climate puts pepper plants in a squeeze: too many scorching afternoons on one side, and cool nights that can drop fruit set on…
When Does the Heating Season Start in New Mexico?
In New Mexico, heating demand typically begins in October, when the average monthly temperature first drops below the 65°F threshold used to track…
When to Plant Potatoes in New Mexico: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
For Albuquerque, the reference city behind New Mexico’s federal climate data, the math lands somewhere in the second half of March.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in New Mexico
Dig New Mexico potatoes before the ground freezes hard, which in the Albuquerque area typically means finishing between October 29 and November 9.
Potato Varieties That Suit New Mexico
New Mexico’s best potato varieties are the early and mid-season types, not the late-season ones.
What to Plant in New Mexico in September
September in New Mexico still sits well ahead of the first fall frost, which lands between October 29 and November 9 at the Albuquerque reference station.
What to Plant in New Mexico in October
October is prime planting time across most of New Mexico. Garlic and shallots go in the ground now, fast-maturing greens like spinach and arugula can…
What to Plant in New Mexico in November
Garlic and shallots go into New Mexico soil in November wherever the ground still works, cold frames carry hardy greens through the cold, and bare-root…
What to Plant in New Mexico in May
May lands well past the reference frost window for the Albuquerque station (March 31 to April 12), so most of New Mexico’s lower valleys are clear to…