What to plant this week in Santa Fe, NM
Santa Fe gardeners are officially in the swing of the season as frost danger fades after April 21, allowing you to focus on harvesting your summer crops like zucchini, corn, and melons. With nights still dipping near -5°F in winter memory but days warming up, now is the time to pull back any late-transplanted heat-lovers while monitoring for rapid growth.
The next 7 days
Santa Fe, NMGrowing in Santa Fe right now
- Watch soil moisture closely as Santa Fe's high desert terrain dries out quickly; water early morning to beat the dry winds common at 7,000 feet. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizers on beans and squash now, or you will get a flush of lush leaves instead of fruit.
- Take advantage of the warm days to finish late plantings like okra, cucumbers, and summer squash, which thrive in our sandy loam but need consistent water to prevent blossom drop.
- Clean up any dead foliage from last week's frost events on perennials like dahlias and cosmos to encourage fresh growth before the heat spikes.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
41 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and cucumbers every two weeks for continuous harvests through August.
- Mulch heavily around young transplants and newly planted garlic to retain moisture as daytime temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tips of bush beans and zucchini plants once they reach 6 inches to encourage branching and heavier fruit production.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites are becoming active on leafy greens and herbs due to the rising temperatures and low humidity typical of our dry climate. Inspect undersides of leaves on basil, zinnias, and marigolds daily for webbing or stippling.
- Watch for squash vine borers attacking your zucchini and summer squash; look for frass (sawdust-like waste) at the base of stems or wilting plants in late afternoons. Hand-pick early infestations before they bore into the main stem.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants early in the morning to reduce evaporation and prevent fungal diseases.
Harvest zucchini and summer squash frequently when they are small (6 inches) to signal the plant to keep producing fruit.
Santa Fe gardening questions
3Can I still transplant cool-season crops like lettuce or peas now in Santa Fe?
No, it is too warm for sowing or transplanting cool-season crops this week; the soil and air temperatures are ideal only for heat-loving vegetables listed above. Wait until late August or early September to start new cool-weather gardens.
My zucchini plants have many leaves but no fruit—what should I do?
This often happens in our high desert when there isn't enough consistent moisture; ensure you are watering deeply at the base rather than just wetting the dry topsoil. Check for squash vine borers, which can kill the plant quickly if not caught early.
Is it safe to harvest my garlic and edible flowers like nasturtiums right now?
You can still use fresh herbs like Thai basil and nasturtiums in salads, but garlic should remain in the ground until the air turns crisp in late October. If you need storage bulbs soon, you can lift them, though they may be small since planting was likely done earlier than ideal.
Other cities in zone 6b
12See the full zone 6b guide → · Plan your Santa Fe garden in SproutGuide →