One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's possible to figure out when it's a good idea to plant heliotrope by looking at the USDA zone info for Las Cruces.

Planting Calendar for Heliotrope

Frost tolerance for heliotrope:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

You should not plant heliotrope until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant heliotrope in Las Cruces is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant heliotrope and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your heliotrope may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your heliotrope indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on March 15 in Las Cruces. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Las Cruces may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Las Cruces you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your heliotrope if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Las Cruces

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Las Cruces

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Las Cruces.