Arizona · Maricopa County, Pima County and Yavapai County

Arizona planting dates by elevation

Three University of Arizona Cooperative Extension calendars, side by side: Maricopa County's for the low desert around Phoenix, Pima County's for Tucson, and Yavapai County's for three elevation bands from 2,000–3,000 ft up to 4,500–6,000 ft. For the 41 crops the Phoenix and Yavapai calendars both list, the table shows where each window falls; Tucson's is filled in for the 34 where the Pima guide's row is clearly the same crop.

Tomatoes, for example — set out as transplants, or sown where the Tucson guide allows it: around Phoenix February 15 – March 31 and July 15 – August 14; around Tucson January 1 – April 30 and June 1 – August 31; at 2,000–3,000 ft, March 15 – April 15; at 3,000–4,500 ft, May 1 – June 15; and at 4,500–6,000 ft, May 10 – June 1.

The same crop, five places

Each window is as its calendar publishes it. The Phoenix and Tucson columns span every half-month their calendar lists the crop in, by any method. Some windows run through the winter, from autumn into the following year.

Crop	Phoenix (Maricopa County)	Tucson (Pima County)	2,000–3,000 ft	3,000–4,500 ft	4,500–6,000 ft
Asparagus	January 1 – February 14; November 1 – December 31	October 15 – December 14	October 1 – March 1	February 15 – April 1	April 1–30
Beets	January 1 – March 14; September 15 – December 31	January 1 – March 31; September 15 – December 31	August 25 – April 1	March 1 – May 15	May 1 – July 15
Broccoli	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	July 25 – October 1	April 15 – July 15	April 1 – July 1
Brussels sprouts	August 15 – November 30	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	August 15 – October 1	July 1 – August 1	June 1 – July 1
Bulb onions	January 1 – February 14; October 1 – December 31	January 1–31; October 1 – December 31	seed: October 15 – January 1 ; sets: November 1 – February 15	seed: November 1 – December 15 ; sets: January 15 – March 15; November 15 – January 15	seed: October 15 – January 1; February 15 – April 15 ; sets: November 1 – February 1; April 1–15
Cabbage	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	seed: August 1 – December 1 ; plants: September 1 – February 1	seed: February 15 – April 15 ; plants: March 15 – May 1; July 10 – August 20	seed: March 15 ; plants: May 1 – June 1
Cantaloupe and honeydew melons	February 15 – July 14	no clear pairing	March 15 – June 1	May 1 – June 20	May 15 – June 15
Carrots	January 1 – April 30; August 1 – December 31	January 1 – April 30; September 1 – December 31	August 25 – March 15	July 15 – September 15; March 1 – May 10	May 1 – July 15
Cauliflower	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; September 1 – December 31	Same as cabbage	Same as cabbage	Same as cabbage
Celery	August 15 – December 31	September 1 – November 30	August 1 – October 15	May 15 – June 20	June 1 – July 15
Chard	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – March 31; September 15 – December 31	August 15 – April 1	July 15 – September 15; February 15 – April 30	July 1 – August 1; March 1 – April 10
Chinese cabbage	January 1–31; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; September 1 – December 31	August 15 – January 15	July 1 – September 15	June 1 – July 15
Collard greens	January 1 – February 28; August 15–31; September 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	September 1 – January 15	June 15 – August 1	June 1 – July 15
Cucumbers	February 15 – April 30; August 15 – September 30	April 1 – May 31; August 15 – September 14	March 20 – May 15; August 1 – September 1	May 10 – June 15	May 15 – June 15
Eggplant	March 1–31	January 1 – February 28; April 1 – August 31	April 1 – May 15	May 1 – June 15	May 15 – June 15
Endive	January 1–31; September 1 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; October 1 – December 31	September 1 – February 1	February 1 – April 1	April 15 – June 15
Garlic	October 1–31	January 1–31; October 1 – December 31	September 1 – January 1	February 15 – April 10	April (cloves)
Green onions	January 1 – April 30; August 1 – December 31	no clear pairing	August 15 – February 1	February 15 – May 1	April 15 – May 1
Head lettuce	January 1 – February 14; August 15 – December 31	no clear pairing	September 1 – January 15	February 15 – March 15; July 15 – September 1	July 1 – August 1
Kale	August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	August 15 – February 15	February 1 – March 20; August 1 – September 15	February 15 – April 10
Kohlrabi	January 1 – February 14; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	September 1 – February 1	February 15 – April 1	April 15 – May 15
Leaf lettuce	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	no clear pairing	August 20 – April 1	March 1 – April 15; July 15 – September 1	March 15 – April 15; August 1 – September 15
Leeks	January 1–31; August 15 – October 14	January 1–31; October 1 – December 31	September 1 – January 15	February 15 – April 10	April
Lima beans	March 15 – April 14	February 1–28; August 15 – September 30	March 1 – April 1	April 25 – July 15	May 15 – July 1
Mustard	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; October 1 – December 31	September 1 – February 1	February 15 – July 15	April 1 – July 1
Okra	February 15 – April 30	May 1 – June 30	April 1 – June 15	May 10 – July 1	May 15 – June 15
Parsnips	September 1 – November 30	September 15 – October 14	September 1 – January 15	May 1 – June 15	April 1 – May 20
Peas	January 1 – February 28; September 15 – December 14	no clear pairing	spring: February 1 – March 15 ; fall: August 15 – September 15	spring: February 1 – March 15 ; fall: August 25 – October 15	spring: February 15 – April 15 ; fall: August 1 – September 1
Peppers	February 15 – March 31; July 1–31	no clear pairing	April 1 – June 1	withheld, see below	May 10–25
Potatoes	January 1 – March 14	January 1 – February 28	February 15 – May 1	May 10 – June 1	May 10 – June 1
Pumpkin	March 1–31; July 1 – August 14	March 15 – July 14	April 1 – July 15	May 15 – July 1	May 20 – June 15
Radishes	January 1 – April 30; September 1 – December 31	January 1 – April 30; September 1 – December 31	August 5 – May 1	March 1 – May 15; July 15 – September 15	April 1 – June 15
Rutabagas	January 1–31; September 1 – December 31	January 1 – April 14; September 15 – December 31	August 20 – March 1	March 1 – April 1	April 1 – May 15
Spinach	January 1 – February 28; September 1 – December 31	January 1 – February 28; October 1 – December 31	August 20 – March 1	February 15 – April 15; July 15 – August 15	April 1 – May 15
Summer squash	February 15 – April 14; August 15 – September 14	March 15 – August 31	March 15 – July 15	May 10 – July 15	May 1 – July 1
Sweet corn	February 15 – April 14; July 15 – August 31	no clear pairing	March 15 – April 1; July 15 – August 15	May 10 – July 15	May 25 – July 1
Sweet potatoes	March 1 – June 30	April 15 – June 30	May 1 – June 15	May 10–25	May 15–20
Tomatoes	February 15 – March 31; July 15 – August 14	January 1 – April 30; June 1 – August 31	March 15 – April 15	May 1 – June 15	May 10 – June 1
Turnips	January 1 – February 28; August 15 – December 31	January 1 – April 14; September 15 – December 31	August 15 – March 1	March 1 – April 15; August 15 – September 15	April 1 – May 15
Watermelon	February 15 – March 31	March 15 – August 14	March 15 – June 1	May 10 – June 25	May 1 – June 1
Winter squash	March 1–31; July 1 – August 14	March 15 – July 14	July 1–31	May 10 – July 1	May 15 – July 1

Which rows count as the same crop is this site's pairing, not any publication's: the three calendars name and split crops differently. Only crops the Phoenix and Yavapai calendars both list are shown, and snap beans are left out because they can be bush or pole beans, which the Yavapai bulletin lists separately. Where the Tucson column reads "no clear pairing", the Pima guide splits or names the crop differently — it lists bell peppers and chile peppers separately, as it does shelling peas, snow peas and sugar snap peas, and it gives lettuce no head or leaf split. The Yavapai County dates for every crop it publishes are on the Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ metro page.

Where these dates come from

Every Phoenix-area planting window on this page is from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension's Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (az1005), by Kai Umeda, revised September 2018, peer reviewed. It lists 53 crops in 24 half-month planting windows; S means seeds, T transplants, X sets or cloves.

Publication: https://extension.arizona.edu/publication/vegetable-planting-calendar-maricopa-county
PDF: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1005-2018.pdf

⚠️ It is written for Maricopa County, which holds 135 of the 164 ZIP codes in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area. It is not written for the other 29 — Pinal County (29) — nor for Tucson, Yuma or anywhere else in Arizona, and this site does not stretch it to cover them. Freeze dates, summer highs and rainfall are NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the stations named on this page.

Where the Tucson-area dates come from

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Pima County Master Gardeners, Pima County Planting Guide (Pima County Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Guide), file dated January 2025. It lists 66 crops in 24 half-month planting windows; S means sow seeds, T transplant, and S/T either.

Guide (PDF): https://www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/Pima-County-Vegetable-Planting-and-Harvesting-Guide-Adobe-PDF-1.pdf

⚠️ It is written for Pima County, which holds every one of the 50 ZIP codes in the Tucson, AZ metro area. It is not written for the Phoenix area, which has its own Maricopa County calendar, nor for Yavapai County, and it gives one set of dates for the whole county, high ground included. The guide's grid was read by eye from the PDF. It also shades harvest periods; that shading was not transcribed, so this site shows when to plant, not when to harvest.

Where the Yavapai County dates come from

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County bulletin Yavapai County Vegetable Planting Dates (Bulletin #51, updated February 7, 2018). It gives planting windows for three elevation bands and names the towns in each:

2,000–3,000 ft: Black Canyon City
3,000–4,500 ft: Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Sedona, Skull Valley
4,500–6,000 ft: Chino Valley, Dewey, Prescott, Prescott Valley

Bulletin (PDF): https://www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/attachment/yavapaicountyvegetableplantingdates.pdf

⚠️ It is written for Yavapai County. If your town is not named, use the band that matches your elevation. None of its 55 crop rows is held back; each was read against the bulletin itself. One cell is withheld: Peppers, as plants at 3,000–4,500 ft, until its printed date is confirmed — as printed it looks like an error.