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.

In Truth or Consequences you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant gherkins by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Gherkins

Frost tolerance for gherkins:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

Since gherkins require warm weather it is important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant gherkins in Truth or Consequences 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 gherkins and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your gherkins may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your gherkins indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on March 15 in Truth or Consequences. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Truth or Consequences is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Truth or Consequences you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to cover your gherkins if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Truth or Consequences

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 Truth or Consequences

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Truth or Consequences.