USDA hardiness zone lookup
Santa Fe, NM — USDA Zone 6b
Santa Fe, New Mexico · 162-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Santa Fe
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 6b |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | May 1 |
| Average first fall frost | October 10 |
| Growing season length | ~162 days |
| Temperature range (F) | -10 to 0°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -23 to -18°C |
All of Santa Fe's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 6b.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Santa Fe's USDA hardiness zone and regional climate normals — not a single-station reading. In a typical year the last spring frost will have passed by May 1, but a colder-than-average year can run 1-2 weeks later. Plant tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) once both soil and night temperatures are consistently warm — a thermometer beats the calendar.
Growing season in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico sits in USDA Zone 6b, with roughly 162 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around May 1 and a first fall frost around October 10. That is a standard temperate season — most common vegetables finish comfortably, and a single main planting plus one succession round works well. Santa Fe lies near 35.7°N; higher-latitude gardens get longer midsummer days but a tighter shoulder season at this zone.
What grows in Santa Fe
Santa Fe falls in USDA Zone 6b, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 6 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 6b (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes (all types)
- Peppers, eggplant
- Squash, melons, cucumbers
- Beans, peas
- Sweet corn
- Apples, pears, peaches, plums
- Cherries, blueberries
- Asparagus, rhubarb
- Garlic (fall-planted)
- Strawberries
What to plant in Santa Fe this week
Santa Fe's last frost is around May 1. This is the spring transplant window — start tomatoes and peppers indoors if you haven't, and direct-sow cold-tolerant crops now.
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 6
- When to plant peppers in zone 6
- When to plant basil in zone 6
- When to plant bush beans in zone 6
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 6
Full planting calendar for Santa Fe
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 6 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 6
- When to plant peppers in zone 6
- When to plant basil in zone 6
- When to plant garlic in zone 6
- When to plant lettuce in zone 6
- When to plant bush beans in zone 6
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 6
- When to plant summer squash in zone 6
- When to plant peas in zone 6
- When to plant carrots in zone 6
ZIP codes in Santa Fe
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Santa Fe:
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Santa Fegardens vary. South-facing walls and paved areas can run a full half-zone warmer than the published rating. Low-lying spots, frost pockets, and shaded north sides can run colder. If you've gardened here a few seasons, your own frost record — the last time you actually got frost damage — beats any national average.
Source and methodology
Hardiness zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Frost-date and growing-season figures are modeled from Santa Fe's USDA hardiness zone and regional NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals — zone-level estimates, not a per-station record, so treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own local frost history. Crop recommendations draw on US Cooperative Extension references, curated by the Growli editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026.
Other cities in New Mexico
- Alamogordo, NM — USDA Zone 8a
- Albuquerque, NM — USDA Zone 7b
- Clovis, NM — USDA Zone 7a
- Farmington, NM — USDA Zone 6b
- Hobbs, NM — USDA Zone 7b
- Las Cruces, NM — USDA Zone 8a
- Rio Rancho, NM — USDA Zone 7a
- Roswell, NM — USDA Zone 7b
- All of New Mexico by zone