What to Plant in New Mexico in March
March in New Mexico sits almost entirely before the state’s last frost window, so the honest answer is: plant cold-hardy greens, alliums and root crops…
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.
What to Plant in New Mexico in June
June in New Mexico sits comfortably past the frost window, so this is peak planting time for warm-season crops.
What to Plant in New Mexico in July
July in New Mexico means direct-sowing heat-loving crops like beans, squash, cucumbers, and okra while the soil is warm and the calendar still leaves…
What to Plant in New Mexico in January
Open ground in New Mexico stays too cold and too unpredictable for direct planting in January across nearly the whole state.
What to Plant in New Mexico in February
February is not a planting month for most of New Mexico. The state’s last spring frost falls between March 31 and April 12 at the reference station, and…
What to Plant in New Mexico in December
December in New Mexico means the open garden is closed for the season across most of the state, but garlic and shallots can still go into workable…
What to Plant in New Mexico in August
August in New Mexico is a fall-planting month, not a summer wind-down. Soil is still hot, the monsoon is delivering moisture, and the state’s long…
What to Plant in New Mexico in April
April in New Mexico splits into two very different gardens depending on where you stand.
Growing Peppers in New Mexico: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Albuquerque’s weather record shows 42.5 days a year at or above 90°F, and that number alone explains why pepper plants in New Mexico often flower heavily…
Growing Potatoes in New Mexico: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
New Mexico’s growing conditions split sharply by elevation, but the reference numbers for Albuquerque tell most gardeners what they need to know: plant…