In the garden now (2 November 2026)
Sow or plant outside
Nothing goes in outdoors this week.
Start indoors
No indoor sowing due this week.
Ready to pick
TomatoesPeppersEggplantCucumbersZucchiniPumpkinsWatermelonsSweet cornGreen beansSwiss chardBasil
Coming up in the next 4 weeks
El Paso planting calendar
Bars show when each crop can go in and when a planting from that window is ready. The blue band is the frost season, from the average first autumn frost to the average last spring frost. Hover or tap a crop for details.
Sow indoorsSow or plant outdoorsHarvestFrost seasonToday
Swipe sideways to see the whole year →
Dates by crop
| Crop | Sow indoors | Sow / plant outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 28 – Mar 4, May 26 – Jun 30 | Mar 25 – Apr 26, Jul 21 – Sep 6 plant out | May 28 – Aug 10, Sep 8 – Nov 18 |
| Pepper | Jan 29 – Mar 5, May 12 – Jun 16 | Apr 9 – May 3, Jul 21 – Sep 3 plant out | Jun 8 – Aug 19, Sep 11 – Nov 18 |
| Eggplant (aubergine) | Feb 5 – Feb 24, May 4 – Jun 8 | Apr 16 – Apr 21, Jul 13 – Aug 30 plant out | Jun 16 – Jul 30, Sep 7 – Nov 18 |
| Cucumber | Mar 4 – Mar 31 | Apr 1 – May 4, Jul 26 – Sep 17 sow | May 21 – Jul 23, Sep 3 – Nov 18 |
| Zucchini (courgette) | Feb 25 – Mar 24 | Mar 25 – May 15, Jul 14 – Sep 20 sow | May 14 – Aug 13, Aug 18 – Nov 18 |
| Pumpkin and winter squash | Feb 25 – Mar 24 | Mar 25 – Apr 20, Jun 18 – Aug 18 sow | Jun 18 – Jul 29, Aug 27 – Nov 19 |
| Watermelon | Mar 19 – Apr 15 | Apr 16 – Aug 28 sow | Jun 19 – Nov 18 |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 18 – Apr 30, Jun 28 – Aug 31 sow | Jun 1 – Jul 16, Aug 23 – Nov 18 |
| Green beans | – | Mar 25 – Apr 27, Aug 8 – Sep 17 sow | May 17 – Jul 10, Sep 16 – Nov 18 |
| Peas | – | Jan 19 – Feb 9 sow | Apr 13 – May 17 |
| Lettuce | Dec 29 – Jan 26 | Feb 2 – Mar 6, Oct 1 – Oct 10 sow | Apr 5 – May 18, Nov 11 – Nov 30 |
| Spinach | – | Jan 19 – Mar 2 sow | Mar 27 – May 12 |
| Kale | Dec 15 – Jan 19 | Jan 26 – Mar 30, Sep 24 – Oct 12 sow | Nov 12 – Jan 4, Apr 11 – Jul 23 |
| Cabbage | Dec 15 – Jan 19 | Feb 2 – Mar 2 plant out | Apr 25 – Jun 3 |
| Broccoli | Dec 22 – Jan 26 | Feb 9 – Mar 11 plant out | Apr 20 – Jun 1 |
| Carrots | – | Feb 9 – Apr 5, Sep 24 – Oct 5 sow | Nov 26 – Jan 4, Apr 23 – Jul 22 |
| Beets (beetroot) | – | Feb 9 – Apr 12, Sep 24 – Oct 7 sow | Apr 16 – Jul 7, Nov 12 – Dec 11 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 26 – Mar 25, Oct 11 – Oct 29 sow | Mar 12 – May 1, Nov 3 – Dec 4 |
| Onions | Nov 24 – Dec 29 | Feb 2 – Mar 29 plant out | May 13 – Jul 10 |
| Garlic | – | Nov 10 – Dec 4 sow | Apr 20 – May 10 |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 16 – Mar 25 sow | May 15 – Jul 17 |
| Swiss chard | – | Feb 16 – Apr 15, Sep 6 – Oct 10 sow | Apr 15 – Sep 14, Oct 17 – Dec 11 |
| Basil | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 9 – Oct 4 plant out | May 7 – Nov 18 |
| Cilantro (coriander) | – | Feb 9 – Mar 16, Oct 11 – Oct 19 sow | Mar 30 – May 17, Nov 16 – Dec 4 |
| Parsley | Dec 15 – Jan 19 | Feb 9 – Apr 2, Sep 24 – Sep 28 sow | Apr 27 – Sep 17, Dec 5 – Dec 20 |
Dates are for a typical year and the middle of the window is the safest. Sow a little at a time across a window rather than all at once. Cold snaps, heat waves, frost pockets and city warmth all shift the real dates; watch the forecast.
Frost dates in El Paso
- Average last spring frost
- March 2
- Late frost (1 year in 10)
- March 19
- Average first autumn frost
- November 20
- Early frost (1 year in 10)
- November 6
- Frost-free growing season
- 262 days
“Average” is the date with an even chance of a later (spring) or earlier (autumn) frost: a night at or below 0 °C (32 °F) at screen height. Tender crops go out a week or two after the spring date, which brings the risk down to about one year in ten.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, El Paso Intl Ap (12 km from the city centre).
Climate at a glance
- Hardiness zone
- 8b from station records
- Average coldest winter night
- -8°C18°F
- Warmest month
- June, highs 37°C98°F
- Coldest month
- January, lows 0°C33°F
- Crops with an outdoor window
- 25 of 25
The zone follows the USDA scheme: bands of the average lowest temperature of the year, 10 °F wide, split into a and b halves. Worked out from the coldest night of each year 1991–2020 at the NOAA station. It tells you which perennials survive winter, not when to sow.
Temperature and rain by month
Average highAverage lowRainFreezing point
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C59°F | 0°C33°F | 8°C46°F | 9 mm0.4 in |
| February | 18°C65°F | 2°C36°F | 10°C51°F | 10 mm0.4 in |
| March | 23°C73°F | 6°C42°F | 14°C58°F | 8 mm0.3 in |
| April | 27°C81°F | 10°C50°F | 19°C65°F | 3 mm0.1 in |
| May | 32°C90°F | 15°C58°F | 23°C74°F | 6 mm0.2 in |
| June | 37°C98°F | 20°C68°F | 28°C83°F | 12 mm0.5 in |
| July | 37°C98°F | 22°C71°F | 29°C85°F | 38 mm1.5 in |
| August | 36°C96°F | 21°C70°F | 28°C83°F | 27 mm1.1 in |
| September | 33°C91°F | 18°C64°F | 25°C77°F | 28 mm1.1 in |
| October | 28°C82°F | 12°C53°F | 20°C67°F | 14 mm0.5 in |
| November | 21°C69°F | 5°C41°F | 13°C55°F | 8 mm0.3 in |
| December | 15°C60°F | 1°C33°F | 8°C46°F | 15 mm0.6 in |
Monthly averages 1991–2020 from TerraClimate (about 4 km grid).