LawnWeather

New Mexico Lawn Care Calendar

In New Mexico, crabgrass preventer typically goes down between Feb 24 and May 14: first in Las Cruces, last in Santa Fe. Below are typical fertilizer, seeding and frost dates for Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Roswell and Farmington, from 2016–2025 weather data. Enter your ZIP code for this year's timing.

When to apply pre-emergent in New Mexico

Typically between Feb 24 and May 14, depending on where you live. The window opens first in Las Cruces (around Feb 24) and last in Santa Fe (around Apr 19). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

CityCrabgrass preventer window
Las CrucesFeb 24 – Mar 16
RoswellMar 1 – Mar 18
AlbuquerqueMar 25 – Apr 15
FarmingtonApr 10 – May 5
Santa FeApr 19 – May 14

Cool-season lawn calendar

Lawns in Santa Fe, Farmington are mostly cool-season grass (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass).

CitySpring fertilizerOverseeding & seedingFall fertilizer
Santa FeMay 7 – Jun 11Aug 1 – Sep 20Aug 9 – Nov 8
FarmingtonApr 28 – Jun 2Aug 5 – Sep 24Sep 13 – Nov 12

Warm-season lawn calendar

Lawns in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell are mostly warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede).

CityFertilizerSeeding, sodding & pluggingFall pre-emergent (winter weeds)
AlbuquerqueMay 21 – Sep 17May 21 – Aug 15Sep 23 – Oct 14
Las CrucesApr 20 – Oct 9Apr 20 – Sep 6Oct 9 – Oct 30
RoswellApr 27 – Sep 22Apr 27 – Aug 20Oct 6 – Oct 27

Frost dates in New Mexico

CityLast spring frostFirst fall frost
AlbuquerqueApr 15Oct 29
Las CrucesMar 3Nov 20
Santa FeApr 29Oct 15
RoswellMar 29Nov 3
FarmingtonApr 29Oct 19

Median dates, 2016–2025. A dash means frost does not occur in most years.

Frequently asked questions

When should I put down pre-emergent in New Mexico?

Typically between Feb 24 and May 14, depending on where you live. The window opens first in Las Cruces (around Feb 24) and last in Santa Fe (around Apr 19). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

When is the best time to seed grass in New Mexico?

Seed or sod warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede) once soil stays above 65°F: typically from Apr 20, finishing about 10 weeks before the first fall frost.

What type of grass grows in New Mexico?

New Mexico spans both zones: warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede) does best in the warmer parts of the state, cool-season grass (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass) in the cooler parts.

Lawn care guides

Other states