When to plant in Houck, AZ
Planting dates worked out from Houck's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 14
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
140
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Sanders · 12.4 km away · station 1784 m, town 1841 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 18 – May 2 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Aug 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Aug 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 2 |
| Peas | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | Jun 3 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 6 – Jun 27 | Jul 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 12 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 22 |
| Cucumber | May 16 – May 23 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Aug 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 16 – May 23 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Jul 28 |
| Winter squash | May 16 – May 23 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Sep 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 6 – Jun 27 | Aug 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | May 17 |
| Basil | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 13 – Jun 27 | Aug 9 |
Houck's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1951 | Jun 10 |
| 1952 | May 23 |
| 1953 | Jun 4 |
| 1966 | Apr 21 |
| 1967 | May 15 |
| 1968 | May 25 |
| 1969 | May 8 |
| 1970 | Jun 1 |
| 1971 | Jun 4 |
| 1972 | May 23 |
| 1974 | May 21 |
| 1975 | May 24 |
| 1976 | May 3 |
| 1977 | May 23 |
| 1978 | May 18 |
| 1979 | Jun 24 |
| 1980 | Jun 2 |
| 1981 | Jun 15 |
| 1982 | Jun 6 |
| 1983 | May 19 |
| 1985 | May 31 |
| 1987 | May 27 |
| 1989 | May 31 |
| 1991 | May 15 |
| 1992 | Apr 24 |
| 1993 | Jun 7 |
| 1995 | Jun 9 |
| 1996 | Apr 30 |
| 1997 | May 3 |
| 1998 | May 17 |
| 2000 | May 13 |
| 2001 | Jun 13 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Jun 13 |
| 2010 | May 28 |
| 2012 | May 27 |
| 2014 | Jun 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | May 22 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 4 |
| 2020 | May 25 |
| 2021 | May 27 |
| 2022 | May 15 |
| 2023 | May 15 |
| 2025 | May 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 104 |
| 1953 | 111 |
| 1966 | 175 |
| 1967 | 144 |
| 1968 | 121 |
| 1969 | 149 |
| 1970 | 116 |
| 1971 | 106 |
| 1974 | 129 |
| 1975 | 142 |
| 1976 | 164 |
| 1977 | 141 |
| 1978 | 124 |
| 1979 | 57 |
| 1980 | 120 |
| 1981 | 122 |
| 1982 | 116 |
| 1987 | 141 |
| 1989 | 140 |
| 1991 | 163 |
| 1992 | 166 |
| 1993 | 132 |
| 1995 | 116 |
| 1996 | 173 |
| 1997 | 162 |
| 1998 | 140 |
| 2000 | 170 |
| 2001 | 119 |
| 2012 | 138 |
| 2014 | 137 |
| 2015 | 186 |
| 2016 | 124 |
| 2017 | 136 |
| 2020 | 144 |
| 2021 | 137 |
| 2022 | 161 |
| 2023 | 150 |
| 2025 | 150 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 16.6 °C |
| 1952 | 17.2 °C |
| 1953 | 16.2 °C |
| 1966 | 18.7 °C |
| 1967 | 17.2 °C |
| 1968 | 16.8 °C |
| 1969 | 18.2 °C |
| 1970 | 17.3 °C |
| 1971 | 17.3 °C |
| 1972 | 17.5 °C |
| 1973 | 16.8 °C |
| 1974 | 17.8 °C |
| 1975 | 16.3 °C |
| 1977 | 17.4 °C |
| 1978 | 17.8 °C |
| 1979 | 16.9 °C |
| 1980 | 17.3 °C |
| 1981 | 18.5 °C |
| 1982 | 17.2 °C |
| 1983 | 16.9 °C |
| 1985 | 18.1 °C |
| 1987 | 17.8 °C |
| 1989 | 18.8 °C |
| 1991 | 17.6 °C |
| 1992 | 18.0 °C |
| 1993 | 17.6 °C |
| 1994 | 18.8 °C |
| 1995 | 17.8 °C |
| 1996 | 19.0 °C |
| 1997 | 18.6 °C |
| 1998 | 18.2 °C |
| 2000 | 19.8 °C |
| 2001 | 19.4 °C |
| 2012 | 18.9 °C |
| 2013 | 18.2 °C |
| 2014 | 18.0 °C |
| 2015 | 17.9 °C |
| 2016 | 18.1 °C |
| 2017 | 18.0 °C |
| 2020 | 18.6 °C |
| 2021 | 18.7 °C |
| 2022 | 18.6 °C |
| 2023 | 17.6 °C |
| 2024 | 19.5 °C |
| 2025 | 18.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1951, Houck's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Sanders (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.