What to plant this week in El Paso, TX
El Paso gardeners are currently in the thick of late spring heat, with overnight lows hovering near 15°F and frost officially over as of March 1st. This week marks a critical window to harvest your summer squash varieties like zucchini and butternut while simultaneously sowing cold-tolerant daikon radish and ornamental alliums into the warming soil.
The next 7 days
El Paso, TXGrowing in El Paso right now
- The Chihuahuan Desert's intense afternoon sun requires aggressive mulching around newly transplanted basil and fennel to keep root zones cool during daytime highs often exceeding 90°F.
- With minimal rainfall typical for this region, rely heavily on drip irrigation systems rather than overhead watering to prevent fungal issues on your thriving cucumbers and melons.
- Soil in the valley tends to be alkaline and sandy; incorporate compost generously when planting edamame or cowpeas to improve moisture retention and nutrient availability.
- Wind is a constant factor across the city's flat terrain; use tall border crops like sunflowers or ornamental gourds to create windbreaks for more delicate flowers such as cosmos and spider flower.
Sow this week
2 crops- Daikon Radish
- Ornamental Allium
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
44 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and cowpeas every two weeks for a continuous harvest through late summer.
- Mulch around heavy feeders like corn, squash, and melons to retain moisture and suppress weeds as temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tops of basil and borage regularly to encourage bushier growth and prevent flowering.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites are exploding in El Paso heat this week, particularly attacking the leaves of your basil and Thai basil plants; spray with insecticidal soap early morning.
- Aphids frequently colonize the tender new growth on young sunflower and zinnia seedlings when temperatures rise above 90°F.
- Powdery mildew can develop rapidly on cucumbers and squash if humidity spikes slightly during cool mornings, so ensure good air circulation between rows.
Watering this week
Provide deep, consistent watering at the base of plants every 2-3 days to prevent blossom drop on squash and melons.
Harvest acorn and butternut squash when they have fully ripened and developed a hard rind for best winter storage.
El Paso gardening questions
3Can I still plant garlic in El Paso even though the frost dates are behind me?
Yes, you should harvest your existing garlic crop soon as it matures quickly here, but if you missed the fall planting window, wait until late August for a good spring bulb crop.
My watermelon and honeydew vines are growing fast; do I need to add more fertilizer now?
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which encourage leafy growth over fruiting at this stage; instead, apply a potassium-rich formula like 0-10-10 to boost the quality of your ripening melons.
How often should I water my okra and pole beans during this heatwave?
In our dry climate, these heavy feeders need about one inch of water every two to three days when soils are sandy, using drip lines to minimize evaporation loss.
Other cities in zone 8b
12See the full zone 8b guide → · Plan your El Paso garden in SproutGuide →