Cool-Weather Vegetable Gardening

Suggested Anchor Introduction

It's a good time to plant cool-weather vegetables in the warmer parts of the state. New Mexico State University's Anna María Pérez-Wright reports.

Story

Click to Listen:

Gardeners in the state's lower elevations can start planting cool weather vegetables in mid-February, but those in higher elevations should wait until mid- to late-March. Doña Ana County horticultural agent John White with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service says leafy green vegetables and root crops fare well in cooler weather.

"Beets, radishes, a lot of those. Carrots are plants that like the cool parts of the year, can sustain some frost and the ground helps to insulate them, so when the root development begins they will go ahead and finish off fine. As we get into the hotter weather, we want those crops to mature off rather than trying to grow through the hot weather."

White says gardeners should wait until after the last frost to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes, squash and melons. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.