Las Cruces, NM · zone 8a · ~246 frost-free days
When to plant in Las Cruces: frost dates and zone 8a.
In Las Cruces, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 12 and the first fall frost around Nov 13, giving you about 246 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 Las Cruces, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 5 to Apr 7 | Mar 19 to May 19 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 2 to Mar 19 | Aug 30 to Oct 29 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 2 to Mar 7 | Aug 18 to Sep 13 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 12 to May 2 | Jul 30 to Sep 1 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Mar 19 to Jun 18 | Jul 13 to Aug 13 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 14 to Apr 7 | Mar 28 to May 19 | — |
| Kale | Dec 22 to Jan 19 | Feb 2 to Mar 2 | Aug 13 to Sep 28 |
| Spinach | — | Jan 19 to Mar 2 | Aug 30 to Oct 18 |
Las Cruces sits in Zone 8a, 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 Las Cruces 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 88001 in about 60 seconds.
Las Cruces planting questions
What planting zone is Las Cruces, NM?+
Las Cruces is in USDA hardiness zone 8a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 8a 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 Las Cruces?+
The typical last spring frost in Las Cruces, NM is around Mar 12. 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 Las Cruces?+
The typical first fall frost in Las Cruces, NM arrives around Nov 13, closing a growing season of roughly 246 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Las Cruces?+
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 Mar 12. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.