Bernalillo County, in New Mexico, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.
Crops well matched to these conditions include green chile, pecan, pinon pine, and prickly pear — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Bernalillo County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Bernalillo County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
7b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 14
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 9
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
743K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Bernalillo County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Bernalillo County
Across Bernalillo County, the ground is predominantly Aridisols, where Bluepoint, Madurez, and Wink are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a loamy fine sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 7.9–8.2, moderately alkaline. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group A soils.
Soil order
Aridisols
Drainage
Well drained
Hydric soils
1%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Bernalillo County
Plants matched to Bernalillo County's USDA zones 7b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Bernalillo County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 14; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 14 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 9 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.
Growing Challenges in New Mexico
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Very low rainfall requires irrigation for most crops
High-desert growing starts with the water plan — drip lines, deep mulch, and basins put scarce rain exactly where roots are.
High altitude UV intensity can burn tender transplants
Harden seedlings slowly and shade-cloth their first week out — high-desert sun is stronger than any indoor start prepares them for.
Alkaline soils limit plant selection without amendment
Test first: knowing your actual pH turns 'what won't grow' into a short, workable amendment list.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to New Mexico, the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Bernalillo County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Bernalillo County — 3,918 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 35 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Bernalillo County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Severity Distribution
across Bernalillo County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Bernalillo County, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 1,314 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Bernalillo County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Bernalillo County Average
- ●USDA Zones 7b
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Bernalillo County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Bernalillo County, New Mexico — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Bernalillo County, New Mexico
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 14 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 9 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~240 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 743K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Bernalillo County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Bernalillo County, New Mexico?
Bernalillo County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Bernalillo County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 14; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 14 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 9 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.
When does frost risk typically end in Bernalillo County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Bernalillo County typically lands around Mar 14, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
How long is the growing season in Bernalillo County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Bernalillo County sees about 240 frost-free days — roughly Mar 14 through Nov 9, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Bernalillo County?
Bernalillo County's zone 7b supports a wide range — strong performers include Green Chile, Pecan, Pinon Pine, Prickly Pear, and Apache Plume. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Bernalillo County, really?
Officially, Bernalillo County sits in USDA zone 7b (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Bernalillo County?
The federal record around Bernalillo County runs heavier than most — 3,918 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Bernalillo County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Bernalillo County sits in USDA zone 7b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 14, with about 240 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 3,918 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Bernalillo County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads New Mexico's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.