Hey there.

Taos is a great place to be moving to. I don't know a huge amount about about gardening there, since I'm about 60 miles away, but I'll give my two cents...

First of all, I'm not sure if you've spent any time in Taos yet, or in Northern NM, but if not, you'll have to get rid of the most common assumptions about the area: namely that it's one big, mild desert. I cringe when people (mostly Easterners but also many others) refer to everywhere as "high desert". I won't go into details, but only a small portion of southern NM, the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley, and a spot of Northwestern NM are technically desert (the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Great Basin Desert, respectively).

In any event, much of Northern NM, including Taos, has a Rocky Mountain climate with the following classifications:

Zone: USDA Zone5, 2006 Arborday.org Zone6, Sunset Zone2B. Basically, according to the Sunset Western Garden Book, Taos is in the "warmer-summer intermountain climate" with a growing season from 115 to 160 days. Precipitation averages around 12 inches per year, with July and August being wettest.

In terms of what's underfoot, I would generally expect predominantly clay soil with a slightly alkaline pH and low levels of organic matter. For small scale gardening, it makes sense to amend substantially.

I would imagine you could grow whatever you want as long as you have adequate heat. Taos can be hot on summer days, but if nighttime temps are too low, or the growing season too short, certain types of tomatoes for example may not be successful (remember you're at 7,000 feet). In Santa Fe, for example, heat-loving okra just doesn't seem to be happy, and melons need some extra care. Good siting can definitely help with all this, as southern exposure, thermal mass, and overhead protection at night make a huge difference.

Anyway, hope this was helpful, and good luck.

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the incite. I've never been to New Mexico, so this is will be a first. After growing gardens in the midwest and N. CA., it sounds like I'll have a challenge on my hands.

Thanks you very much,

Jae

Chris made a point of the elevation ....7,000ft. I made the mistake of buying plants in Tucson, El Paso, Las Cruces & taking them home to Silver City 6500 ft. It never occurred to me that plants, just like people have to adjust to altitudes.

dear jaded 1, Chris summarized it beautifully. My only other suggestion would be to pick up any garden books by Judith Phillips, especially Revised Ed., "New Mexico Gardener's Guide". There are many great gardens in Taos; it is just that the growing season is relatively short, so you may want to choose a lot of evergreens. Welcome to NM --- Taos is magical and exceedingly beautiful. dl

Bienvenidos a Nuevo Mexico!

I'm sure you will fall in love with New Mexico as I have done (I came from NE Iowa) if you don't compare it to 'back home'. The beauty here is everywhere but it is a much different beauty all of it's own. Sometimes you have to concentrate your gaze more because of the open spaces but the beauty IS there! I find I can grow so much more & more of a variety than 'back home' especially since we do have four seasons but each is more moderate than Iowa (where are you now living?) & only plants like ferns & hostas which I loved in Iowa don't do as well here. In Taos you will be able to grow more of those 'back East' plants & most of what I can grow here at 5200 ft. & zone 7 here in Albuquerque.

Keep us posted on your new adventures of gardening in New Mexico & let us 'old timers' be of any help if we can!

-vieja

You might wish to visit the Rocky Mountain Gardening forum here at GW as well, the Taos climate is very similar to much of the mountain west. I'm northwest of you a bit in a very similar climate, as is much of the SLC area of Utah, the Colorado Front Range, and so on. Lots of tomato talk there as well.

A minor quibble about the term "High Desert", this refers to the climate atop the Colorado Plateau. 6,000+ feet in altitude puts it up "high", and about 13" of annual moisture makes it a desert. Picture sagebrush, pinion / juniper forest, and then you move up into the Ponderosa Pine forests, where Taos is located.

The best single source I know of for info and appropriate plants is High Country Gardens. You're moving to one of the great places in the world.

Sorry, I could not resist responding to david52's last comments... You're right, I don't know the history of the term "high desert", (I've heard it used in connection with parts of the Mojave -- very appropriate) but I still think it is misleading. Nowhere in the ecological literature is Santa Fe for example considered desert, so why should it be in layman's terms? Why not reserve the term for true deserts? The first Easterners to visit the Great Plains called that desert too, something we can now clearly see as inaccurate. Oh, and from a meteorological point of view, 10" of annual precip is generally considered the cutoff for desert, not 13" (although portions of true deserts can get over 10, and even 13 inches). But, there are a host of factors that make a desert a desert, taking into account climate, flora, and geology. I just think that labels such as this one, that put certain images in people's minds should be accurate.

On last thing, for those who haven't been there before, Taos is definitely not in the Ponderosa belt, even at 7,000 feet, it's in a dry spot, and mostly sagebrush until you start ascending those mountains.

Hi Jae,

I'm in Santa Fe and came here from N California. Basically, it took me 7 years to "get it" about gardening here - but now I have a courtyard wonderland that is the envy of everyone who sees it.

We don't have lawns and huge gardening spaces - even on large properties. The idea is that you do "spot" gardens near the dwelling and leave the rest of the property to native growth.

Dig a hole in our soil and you have a clay pot with a very small drain hole. So, your first approach is to amend small areas at a time and do a lot of container gardening with annuals while you slowly amend beds and add perrenials. This gives you a "flowering garden" while you build up what's actually in the ground. Use really rich potting soil like Fertilome for amending and for the containers. Every year, the slightly spent potting soil from the containers gets worked into my flower beds, and with the addition of composted mulch, the beds have gotten deeper and richer every year.

When planting a perennial, you dig a hole much deeper and wider - like a large flower pot. Loosen the clay bottom and then fill with Fertilome or other really rich soil. It's exactly as if you are planting the perennial in an underground "pot" which will eventually break down and blend with the soil. Do enough of this and eventually the whole bed or area will be amended (along with top dressing with composted mulch, of course).

The most wonderful thing about gardens here is the relative absence of pests (no slugs or snails or mosquitoes or fleas - pets don't need flea protection), and the proliferation of wild birds, little lizards, quail, and other critters that are so willing to occupy your garden space with you and make it more like a natural paradise!

Plants need watering *every* day here, which is why containers, soaker hoses, and Native plants are a great idea, because water is a precious commodity here.

Another essential is to understand microclimates. Because of adobe walls which store heat, and wind issues, you can have 3-4 climate zones right in your Zone 5 garden.

Here is a link to our most wonderful local gardening resource:

http://www.highcountrygardens.com/

Periodic vists to their store/nursery, Santa Fe Greenhouses, is a must and *such* a fun experience.

Hope this helps - and welcome to Paradise.

jessica