What to plant this week in El Paso, TX
With the last frost finally behind us in El Paso, gardeners can move immediately into full-season production as we settle into our classic 8b heat. This week marks the transition from final cold-weather cleanups to aggressive planting of summer staples like okra and beans that thrive in our desert sun.
The next 7 days
El Paso, TXGrowing in El Paso right now
- Our dry soil drains incredibly fast during rare rain events, so mulch heavily around young transplants immediately to retain moisture.
- El Paso's intense afternoon heat can scorch tender seedlings; provide shade cloth or target watering early morning to prevent wilting before the sun peaks.
- Soil here is often alkaline and sandy, making nitrogen-deficient lettuce and spinach difficult to grow this week despite being sowable varieties.
Sow this week
17 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Summer Savory
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and pole beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest through summer.
- Thin out dense seedlings of zucchini and yellow summer squash to prevent overcrowding.
- Apply a light layer of mulch around established crops to retain soil moisture as summer heat builds.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites are exploding in our low humidity right now, especially on the undersides of tomato leaves and ornamental Zinnias.
- Cucumber beetles are actively seeking out your newly sowed Bush Beans and Summer Squash before they develop thick foliage.
- Aphids often colonize the new growth on Okra plants once temperatures consistently break above 85°F.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants in the morning to keep foliage dry and reduce disease risk during hot days.
Harvest watermelons when they produce a hollow sound upon tapping, indicating full ripeness.
El Paso gardening questions
3Can I still plant my cold-weather crops like Garlic or Malabar Spinach now?
Yes, these are listed in your harvest soon and sowable lists, so you can add them to the garden for a fall crop before our first frost on Dec 1.
My Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash aren't producing fruit yet after planting.
This is normal in El Paso; plants often flower without setting fruit initially until they establish deep roots against our heat, so keep watering consistently.
Should I use fertilizer on my French Marigolds right now?
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers this week as it promotes leafy growth that is vulnerable to spider mites; instead, focus on consistent moisture and light feeding with low-nitrogen options.
Other cities in zone 8b
12See the full zone 8b guide → · Plan your El Paso garden in SproutGuide →