Yes — Strong Match
turnip cover crop (zones 2-10) covers every zone New Mexico contains (5a-9a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico — the short answer
Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico: hardy in zones 2–10, full sun, against a state median of ~209 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-10
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- New Mexico zones
- 5a-9a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 31 - Apr 19 – Oct 22 - Nov 9
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 144 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 60 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Turnip Cover Crop is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical New Mexico site runs ~209 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score turnip cover crop against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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New Mexico is not one climate
New Mexico’s winter-low ladder runs across 33 counties, from zone 5.5 in Taos County to zone 8.5 in Sierra County. That is 30°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between turnip cover crop overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 33 counties runs 6.5–7.5 zones, with a median of 7 zones — a 3-zone span end to end.
Measured across 33 New Mexico counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in New Mexico Fits Best
Even within New Mexico's zones 5a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for turnip cover crop (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Turnip Cover Crop Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-10
- Frost-Free Days: 40+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
New Mexico Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 31 - Apr 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 22 - Nov 9
- Annual Rainfall: 8-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Caliche, Adobe clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-10)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico
The frost window
Across New Mexico, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 22 and Nov 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 186-day window you can count on — up to 223 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
When to start the seed
Turnip Cover Crop is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — New Mexico's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 60 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 126 days to spare even in New Mexico's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says turnip cover crop survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Turnip Cover Crop wants 40+ frost-free days; a typical New Mexico site sees ~209 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Turnip Cover Crop needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2899 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so New Mexico's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Turnip Cover Crop likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7). That's the common-ground band across New Mexico's sandy loam and caliche — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a New Mexico soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your New Mexico site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. New Mexico soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New Mexico growers also need to think about:
Very low rainfall requires irrigation for most crops
High altitude UV intensity can burn tender transplants
Alkaline soils limit plant selection without amendment
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New Mexico grower, not just turnip cover crop — is covered on the New Mexico growing guide.
Timing shifts within New Mexico
Turnip Cover Crop needs about 40 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Catron County — New Mexico’s shortest season at 144 frost-free days — clears that by 104 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in New Mexico. What varies is your own parcel.
Across New Mexico’s 33 counties the frost-free season runs from 144 days in Catron County to 264 days in Doña Ana County — a spread of 120 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median New Mexico county sees 209 frost-free days, leaving turnip cover crop about 169 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Turnip Cover Crop's 40-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Turnip Cover Crop draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, turnip cover crop can only work that bloom inside New Mexico's frost window — roughly 209 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 31 - Apr 19) and closing at the first (Oct 22 - Nov 9), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
New Mexico Cooperative Extension
For New Mexico-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for turnip cover crop, the canonical source is NMSU Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Turnip Cover Crop native to New Mexico?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Turnip Cover Crop as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Mexico's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Mexico natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The New Mexico growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico
When can I plant Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico?
New Mexico's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 22 and Nov 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Turnip Cover Crop mature before first frost in New Mexico?
Yes — Turnip Cover Crop matures in 60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and New Mexico's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 186 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 126 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Turnip Cover Crop grown in across New Mexico?
New Mexico spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Turnip Cover Crop carries a range of zones 2-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical New Mexico site have?
A typical New Mexico site sees ~209 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Turnip Cover Crop needs 40+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Turnip Cover Crop native to New Mexico?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Turnip Cover Crop as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Mexico's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Mexico natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Turnip Cover Crop in New Mexico?
Turnip Cover Crop prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across New Mexico soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Turnip Cover Crop actually grow on my specific land in New Mexico?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores turnip cover crop against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in New Mexico
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores turnip cover crop against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New Mexico turnip cover crop averages can't show:
We read public map data around New Mexico — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the New Mexico turnip cover crop average
Explore More
Growing guides for turnip cover crop
Explore New Mexico county by county
New Mexico carries 33 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for turnip cover crop there:
Where else turnip cover crop grows
Turnip Cover Crop's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to New Mexico in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in New Mexico
New Mexico has a growing page for 1,038 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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