When to plant in Dulce, NM

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyJun 19 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalJun 15about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outJul 21 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

EarlySep 81 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 17about half of years have had frost
LateSep 279 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 96 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Dulce · 0.3 km away · station 2070 m, town 2066 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	May 7 – May 21	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Aug 26
Sweet pepper	Apr 23 – May 7	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Aug 31
Lettuce (leaf)	Apr 13 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 1	Jun 27
Peas	—	May 4 – Jun 1	Jun 28
Bush beans	—	Jun 25 – Jul 16	Aug 14
Carrot	—	May 25 – Jul 6	Jul 24
Beet	—	May 18 – Jun 29	Jul 7
Potato	—	May 25 – Jun 15	Aug 3
Kale	Apr 6 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 1	Jun 30
Broccoli	Apr 6 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 8	Jul 17
Cucumber	Jun 4 – Jun 11	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Aug 21
Summer squash and zucchini	Jun 4 – Jun 11	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Aug 16
Winter squash Season likely too short	Jun 4 – Jun 11	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Sep 20
Sweet corn	—	Jun 25 – Jul 16	Aug 24
Onion (from sets)	—	May 18 – Jun 8	Aug 16
Garlic	—	Sep 3 – Oct 1 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	May 4 – Jun 1	Jun 11
Basil	May 21 – Jun 4	Jul 2 – Jul 16	Aug 28

Plan all 65 crops for Dulce

Dulce'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
1907	May 27
1910	Jun 23
1911	Jun 10
1913	Jun 29
1914	Jun 9
1915	Jun 18
1916	Jun 27
1918	Jun 2
1919	Jun 7
1921	Jun 19
1922	Jun 16
1923	Jun 23
1924	Jun 26
1925	Jun 13
1926	Jun 22
1927	Jun 6
1928	Jun 30
1929	Jun 21
1930	Jun 29
1931	Jun 7
1936	Jun 6
1937	Jun 17
1938	Jun 15
1940	Jun 11
1946	Jun 25
1947	Jun 14
1949	Jul 11
1951	Jun 28
1952	Jun 29
1953	Jun 21
1957	Jun 24
1959	Jul 3
1962	Jul 14
1963	Jun 23
1964	Jun 23
1965	Jul 3
1966	Jun 14
1967	Jun 11
1968	Jul 1
1969	Jun 27
1970	Jun 20
1971	Jun 13
1972	Jun 27
1973	Jun 21
1974	Jun 11
1975	Jun 29
1976	Jun 30
1977	Jun 16
1978	Jul 9
1981	Jun 21
1982	Jul 7
1983	Jun 30
1984	Jun 12
1985	Jun 30
1986	Jun 19
1987	Jul 5
1988	Jun 3
1989	Jul 2
1990	Jun 17
1991	Jun 24
1992	Jul 3
1993	Jun 10
1994	Jul 7
1995	Jul 5
1996	Jun 2
1997	Jul 2
1998	Jun 19
1999	Jun 11
2000	May 27
2001	Jun 23
2002	Jun 12
2003	Jun 26
2004	Jun 23
2005	Jul 1
2006	Jun 2
2007	Jun 7
2008	Jun 14
2009	Jun 8
2010	Jun 23
2011	Jun 14
2012	Jun 11
2013	Jun 20
2014	Jun 15
2015	May 20
2016	May 28
2017	Jun 14
2018	Jun 2
2019	Jun 24
2020	Jun 9

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1907	118
1910	73
1911	106
1913	80
1914	96
1918	103
1919	107
1921	112
1923	88
1924	77
1925	89
1926	75
1927	113
1928	21
1930	72
1931	81
1936	100
1937	98
1938	64
1940	112
1946	76
1947	91
1949	38
1951	68
1952	64
1957	77
1959	60
1962	0
1963	97
1964	58
1965	52
1966	91
1967	94
1968	53
1969	87
1970	78
1971	83
1972	86
1973	31
1974	85
1975	57
1976	90
1977	93
1978	49
1981	97
1982	83
1983	82
1984	109
1985	74
1986	84
1987	42
1988	103
1989	68
1990	108
1991	82
1992	54
1993	96
1994	69
1995	69
1996	108
1997	94
1998	92
1999	101
2000	120
2001	77
2002	102
2003	76
2005	74
2006	106
2007	109
2008	90
2009	61
2010	75
2011	99
2012	98
2013	95
2014	107
2016	110
2017	96
2018	116
2019	80
2020	110

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1907	14.2 °C
1910	15.4 °C
1911	14.2 °C
1913	14.1 °C
1914	14.9 °C
1918	14.5 °C
1919	15.1 °C
1920	12.8 °C
1921	14.3 °C
1922	14.6 °C
1923	13.9 °C
1924	14.5 °C
1925	15.0 °C
1926	14.3 °C
1927	13.8 °C
1928	13.1 °C
1931	14.3 °C
1936	14.8 °C
1937	14.5 °C
1938	14.0 °C
1940	14.0 °C
1946	14.8 °C
1947	14.7 °C
1948	13.7 °C
1949	12.5 °C
1951	13.7 °C
1952	14.0 °C
1953	14.8 °C
1957	13.2 °C
1959	14.2 °C
1962	12.2 °C
1963	13.9 °C
1965	12.1 °C
1966	13.8 °C
1967	13.4 °C
1968	13.0 °C
1969	14.5 °C
1970	13.1 °C
1971	13.0 °C
1972	13.8 °C
1973	12.4 °C
1974	13.3 °C
1975	11.9 °C
1976	14.1 °C
1977	14.3 °C
1978	12.9 °C
1981	14.0 °C
1982	13.1 °C
1983	12.8 °C
1984	14.4 °C
1985	13.7 °C
1987	13.8 °C
1988	14.6 °C
1989	14.4 °C
1990	14.7 °C
1991	13.9 °C
1992	14.2 °C
1993	13.7 °C
1994	15.1 °C
1995	13.8 °C
1996	15.3 °C
1997	14.5 °C
1998	14.9 °C
1999	13.9 °C
2000	16.3 °C
2001	15.6 °C
2002	16.1 °C
2003	15.2 °C
2004	14.4 °C
2005	14.9 °C
2006	15.3 °C
2007	15.8 °C
2008	14.7 °C
2009	14.6 °C
2010	14.7 °C
2011	14.8 °C
2012	16.0 °C
2013	15.4 °C
2014	15.0 °C
2015	15.3 °C
2016	15.4 °C
2017	15.5 °C
2018	16.7 °C
2019	15.4 °C
2020	16.2 °C

What this means for you: Since 1907, Dulce'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 Dulce (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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