Albuquerque, NM · zone 7a · ~202 frost-free days
When to plant in Albuquerque: frost dates and zone 7a.
In Albuquerque, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 11 and the first fall frost around Oct 30, giving you about 202 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Albuquerque, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 7 to May 7 | Apr 18 to Jun 18 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 4 to Apr 18 | Aug 16 to Oct 15 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 4 to Apr 6 | Aug 4 to Aug 30 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 11 to Jun 1 | Jul 16 to Aug 18 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 18 to Jul 18 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 16 to May 7 | Apr 27 to Jun 18 | — |
| Kale | Jan 21 to Feb 18 | Mar 4 to Apr 1 | Jul 30 to Sep 14 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 18 to Apr 1 | Aug 16 to Oct 4 |
Albuquerque sits in Zone 7a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Albuquerque garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 87102 in about 60 seconds.
Albuquerque planting questions
What planting zone is Albuquerque, NM?+
Albuquerque is in USDA hardiness zone 7a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Albuquerque?+
The typical last spring frost in Albuquerque, NM is around Apr 11. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Albuquerque?+
The typical first fall frost in Albuquerque, NM arrives around Oct 30, closing a growing season of roughly 202 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Albuquerque?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 11. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.