Planting planner: Tucson, Arizona
Typical last spring frost February 5 (1 spring in 10 later than March 2). Typical first fall frost December 9 (1 fall in 10 earlier than November 21). Growing season about 307 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 99 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
January
- January 1 to 15: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- January 8 to 22: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- January 8 to 22: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- January 22 to February 5: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 22 to February 5: Cauliflower (plant out)
February
- February 5: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- February 19: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- February 19: Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans (sow outdoors)
March
Nothing to start this month.
April
Nothing to start this month.
May
Nothing to start this month.
June
Nothing to start this month.
July
- July 14 to 28: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
August
- August 3 to 17: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
- September 12: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- September 16: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- September 17: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- September 21: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- September 22: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- September 26: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
October
- October 6: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
- October 16: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- October 26: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 20 to December 18: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- November 21: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
December
- December 4 to January 1: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- December 18 to January 8: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- December 25 to January 8: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Tucson International Airport (station USW00023160), 5 miles from the center of Tucson. Planting rules: Colorado State University Extension GardenNotes #720 (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-334 (fall crops), University of Minnesota Extension (garlic). Spring bulbs: plant when the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F, until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension). Full details: https://lastfrostdate.com/frost-dates/arizona/tucson/