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When to plant in Capitan, NM

Planting dates worked out from Capitan's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyApr 179 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalApr 28about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outMay 61 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

  1. EarlyOct 41 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalOct 13about half of years have had frost
  3. LateOct 249 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 165 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Carrizozo 1sw · 31.5 km away · station 1647 m, town 1935 m. How we match towns to stations

The station sits 288 m lower than the town, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Mar 11 – Mar 25 May 6 – May 20 Jun 30
Sweet pepper Feb 25 – Mar 11 May 6 – May 20 Jul 5
Lettuce (leaf) Feb 24 – Mar 3 Mar 31 – Apr 14 May 10
Peas — Mar 17 – Apr 14 May 11
Bush beans — Apr 29 – May 20 Jun 18
Carrot — Apr 7 – May 19 Jun 6
Beet — Mar 31 – May 12 May 20
Potato — Apr 7 – Apr 28 Jun 16
Kale Feb 17 – Mar 3 Mar 31 – Apr 14 May 13
Broccoli Feb 17 – Mar 3 Mar 31 – Apr 21 May 30
Cucumber Apr 8 – Apr 15 May 6 – May 20 Jun 25
Summer squash and zucchini Apr 8 – Apr 15 May 6 – May 20 Jun 20
Winter squash Apr 8 – Apr 15 May 6 – May 20 Jul 25
Sweet corn — Apr 29 – May 20 Jun 28
Onion (from sets) — Mar 31 – Apr 21 Jun 29
Garlic — Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Mar 17 – Apr 14 Apr 24
Basil Mar 25 – Apr 8 May 6 – May 20 Jul 2

Plan all 65 crops for Capitan

Capitan's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Mar 1Mar 15Apr 1Apr 15May 1May 15 19101920193019401950196019701980199020002010
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1909May 4
1911Feb 28
1912May 16
1913Apr 25
1914Apr 10
1915Apr 3
1916May 22
1917May 7
1918Apr 7
1919Apr 10
1920Apr 27
1921Apr 26
1922Apr 19
1925Apr 25
1926Mar 31
1927Apr 22
1928Apr 15
1929May 2
1930Mar 30
1931Apr 12
1932Apr 28
1933Apr 27
1934Mar 24
1935Mar 16
1936Apr 10
1937Apr 30
1938May 7
1939Apr 19
1940Apr 28
1941Apr 19
1942Apr 16
1943Apr 13
1944May 5
1945Apr 18
1946Apr 4
1947Apr 25
1948Apr 2
1949Apr 12
1950May 6
1951May 3
1952Apr 10
1953May 12
1954May 2
1955May 3
1956Apr 21
1957Apr 13
1958Apr 15
1959May 6
1960May 20
1961Apr 28
1962Apr 24
1963Apr 23
1964May 9
1965May 9
1966Apr 29
1967May 15
1968Apr 30
1969May 8
1970May 4
1971Apr 7
1972May 9
1973May 3
1974Apr 29
1975May 8
1976May 8
1977Apr 22
1978May 3
1979May 12
1980May 13
1981Apr 12
1982May 7
1983May 4
1984Apr 30
1985May 14
1986Apr 10
1987Apr 23
1989Apr 14
1990May 2
1991May 6
1992Apr 21
1993Apr 25
1994Apr 30
1995Apr 24
1997May 1
1998Apr 28
1999May 6
2000Apr 15
2001May 5
2002Apr 22
2003Apr 10
2004May 2
2008May 2
2011May 11

What this means for you: Since 1909, Capitan's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Carrizozo 1sw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Ruidoso DownsRuidosoMescaleroTularosaLa LuzAlamogordo