When to plant in Placitas, NM
Planting dates worked out from Placitas's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 2
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
175
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Albuquerque Foothills Ne · 20.5 km away · station 1827 m, town 1815 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 | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 2 – May 16 | Jul 1 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | May 8 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 14 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 10 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 16 |
| Winter squash | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Apr 21 |
| Basil | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 28 |
Placitas'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 |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Apr 20 |
| 1993 | May 2 |
| 1994 | Apr 30 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | Apr 29 |
| 1997 | Apr 26 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 17 |
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | Apr 22 |
| 2002 | Apr 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | May 1 |
| 2005 | Apr 12 |
| 2006 | Apr 19 |
| 2007 | Apr 22 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | May 3 |
| 2011 | May 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 15 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2014 | Apr 29 |
| 2017 | May 1 |
| 2018 | Apr 19 |
| 2019 | Apr 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 7 |
| 2024 | Apr 7 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
| 2026 | Apr 19 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 170 |
| 1993 | 177 |
| 1994 | 168 |
| 1995 | 163 |
| 1996 | 174 |
| 1997 | 169 |
| 1998 | 161 |
| 1999 | 164 |
| 2000 | 146 |
| 2001 | 210 |
| 2002 | 189 |
| 2003 | 185 |
| 2004 | 165 |
| 2005 | 217 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 182 |
| 2008 | 162 |
| 2009 | 192 |
| 2010 | 175 |
| 2011 | 158 |
| 2012 | 193 |
| 2013 | 154 |
| 2014 | 189 |
| 2017 | 200 |
| 2018 | 179 |
| 2021 | 176 |
| 2023 | 205 |
| 2024 | 206 |
| 2025 | 217 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 18.6 °C |
| 1993 | 19.0 °C |
| 1994 | 19.6 °C |
| 1995 | 18.9 °C |
| 1996 | 19.8 °C |
| 1997 | 19.2 °C |
| 1998 | 19.6 °C |
| 1999 | 18.2 °C |
| 2000 | 20.1 °C |
| 2001 | 20.2 °C |
| 2002 | 20.3 °C |
| 2003 | 20.0 °C |
| 2004 | 18.7 °C |
| 2005 | 19.6 °C |
| 2006 | 19.9 °C |
| 2007 | 20.3 °C |
| 2008 | 19.9 °C |
| 2009 | 20.1 °C |
| 2010 | 20.8 °C |
| 2011 | 20.9 °C |
| 2012 | 21.6 °C |
| 2013 | 20.6 °C |
| 2014 | 20.1 °C |
| 2017 | 19.6 °C |
| 2018 | 21.2 °C |
| 2021 | 21.4 °C |
| 2023 | 21.6 °C |
| 2024 | 21.5 °C |
| 2025 | 21.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1992, Placitas's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Albuquerque Foothills Ne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.