Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The best time to plant tagetes in Ruidoso can be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Tagetes

Frost tolerance for tagetes:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You can not plant tagetes until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant tagetes in Ruidoso 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 tagetes and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your tagetes may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your tagetes indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Ruidoso. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -5°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Ruidoso is an average the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Ruidoso you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your tagetes if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Ruidoso

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Ruidoso

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Ruidoso.