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When to plant in Dexter, NM

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

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyMar 119 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalApr 3about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outApr 181 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 231 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalNov 2about half of years have had frost
  3. LateNov 189 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 212 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Roswell Ind Air Pk · 17.5 km away · station 1105 m, town 1056 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Feb 21 – Mar 7 Apr 18 – May 2 Jun 12
Sweet pepper Feb 7 – Feb 21 Apr 18 – May 2 Jun 17
Lettuce (leaf) Jan 30 – Feb 6 Mar 6 – Mar 20 Apr 15
Peas — Feb 20 – Mar 20 Apr 16
Bush beans — Apr 11 – May 2 May 31
Carrot — Mar 13 – Apr 24 May 12
Beet — Mar 6 – Apr 17 Apr 25
Potato — Mar 13 – Apr 3 May 22
Kale Jan 23 – Feb 6 Mar 6 – Mar 20 Apr 18
Broccoli Jan 23 – Feb 6 Mar 6 – Mar 27 May 5
Cucumber Mar 21 – Mar 28 Apr 18 – May 2 Jun 7
Summer squash and zucchini Mar 21 – Mar 28 Apr 18 – May 2 Jun 2
Winter squash Mar 21 – Mar 28 Apr 18 – May 2 Jul 7
Sweet corn — Apr 11 – May 2 Jun 10
Onion (from sets) — Mar 6 – Mar 27 Jun 4
Garlic — Oct 19 – Nov 16 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Feb 20 – Mar 20 Mar 30
Basil Mar 7 – Mar 21 Apr 18 – May 2 Jun 14

Plan all 65 crops for Dexter

Dexter's weather over time

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

Mar 1Mar 15Apr 1Apr 15 19501960197019801990200020102020
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1949Apr 5
1950Mar 19
1951Apr 13
1952Apr 10
1953Apr 12
1954Mar 17
1955Mar 28
1956Mar 16
1957Apr 12
1958Mar 19
1959Apr 13
1960Mar 17
1961Apr 9
1962Apr 7
1963Mar 15
1964Apr 8
1965Mar 27
1966Mar 24
1973Apr 10
1974Apr 5
1975Apr 9
1976Mar 31
1977Apr 4
1978Mar 17
1979Apr 13
1980Apr 14
1981Mar 19
1982Mar 27
1983Apr 15
1984Apr 4
1985Mar 31
1986Mar 21
1987Apr 8
1988Apr 10
1989Apr 11
1990Mar 17
1991Mar 31
1992Mar 12
1993Apr 9
1994Apr 6
1995Apr 23
1996Apr 7
1997Apr 14
1998Apr 18
1999Apr 18
2000Apr 4
2001Mar 16
2002Mar 26
2003Apr 9
2004Apr 12
2005Apr 2
2006Mar 25
2007Apr 15
2008Apr 18
2009Apr 17
2010Apr 8
2011Apr 5
2012Mar 12
2013Apr 24
2014Apr 15
2015Mar 7
2016Apr 3
2017Mar 3
2018Mar 28
2019Apr 14
2020Mar 1
2021Mar 25
2022Mar 24
2023Mar 28
2024Apr 10

What this means for you: Since 1949, Dexter's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Roswell Ind Air Pk (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

HagermanRoswellArtesiaAtokaLa HuertaCarlsbad