Santa Fe, New Mexico: planting zone & frost dates
Santa Fe is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6b, where the average coldest winter night reaches -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 20 and the first fall frost around Oct 1.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 28 | Sep 25 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 20 | Oct 1 |
| Median (50%) | May 14 | Oct 6 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station SANTA FE 2, NM (USC00298085), 3.0 mi (4.8 km) from the city center and 13 ft lower than the city center (-4 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 27 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Santa Fe
Santa Fe spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 4 ZIP codes): 6b (51%), 7a (49%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Santa Fe
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 20, first frost Oct 1). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 27 – Jun 10 | — | — |
| Pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Jun 3 – Jun 17 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 6 – May 27 | Apr 22 – Jun 3 | Jul 23 – Aug 20 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 27 – Jul 1 | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 27 – Jun 24 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 27 – Jun 10 | May 27 – Jun 17 | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Jun 3 – Jun 10 | May 27 – Jun 17 | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 29 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Onion | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 22 – May 6 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | — | — |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | Jun 3 – Jun 17 | Jun 3 – Jun 24 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Aug 6 – Sep 3 |
| Kale | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 23 – Aug 20 |
| Broccoli | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – May 27 | — | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Peas | — | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| Eggplant | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Jun 3 – Jun 17 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 6 | — | Jul 9 – Jul 23 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 15 – Jun 3 | Aug 20 – Sep 17 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
Nearby cities in New Mexico
- Rio Rancho — zone 7b, last frost Apr 15, first frost Oct 28
- Albuquerque — zone 7b, last frost Apr 21, first frost Oct 22
- Las Cruces — zone 8b, last frost Mar 20, first frost Nov 7
More: all New Mexico cities · other zone 6b cities: Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Boston, MA, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY
Santa Fe gardening questions
When is the last frost in Santa Fe, NM?
Plan around May 20. At NOAA's Santa Fe 2, NM station, 3.0 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by May 14, and after May 28 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around May 3. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 28 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Santa Fe, NM?
Start seeds indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 and set transplants outside May 27 – Jun 10, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 134 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Santa Fe?
About 144 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 124 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 162 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 25 and a 30% chance by Oct 1. That is the shortest of the 4 New Mexico cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Santa Fe?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 1): transplant broccoli Jul 9 – Jul 23; sow kale Jul 23 – Aug 20; sow lettuce Jul 23 – Aug 20; sow radishes Aug 20 – Sep 17. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 16. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Santa Fe's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Santa Fe is zone 6b on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Santa Fe in zone 6b?
No. Zone 6b covers about 51% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (49%), measured across the city's 4 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.