Average Frost Free Dates   Cortez               May 25 - September 20 (118 days) Durango            June 5 - September 15 (103 days) Elevations Cortez        6201 feet          Dolores     6800 feet          Durango     6523 feet          Bayfield    6892 feet          Ignacio      6432 feet           Mancos     6993 feet Telluride    9078 feet          Rico          8827 feet         Farmington, NM     5395 feet    Zones   The Four Corners area spans 6 of the USDA Hardiness Zones. These zones are based on the minimum temperature a plant can survive. These USDA zones are not perfect for our area since other factors such as soil moisture play a large role in plant survival. Snow cover is also a large factor in the survival of low plants such as perennials. Reliable snow cover is the best insulator and can allow you to grow otherwise tender plants in very cold areas. Microclimates are small areas of your yard or neighborhood where the weather is different from what's generally happening. These areas may be colder, warmer, wetter or drier than surrounding areas. Take advantage of these spots in your yard to grow plants that might not be happy otherwise. Until a better system is developed, these are the USDA zone statistics. Zone 1 Below -50 F Zone 2 -50 to -40 F Zone 3 -40 to -30 F Zone 4 -30 to -20 F Zone 5 -20 to -10 F Zone 6 -10 to 0 F Zone 7 0 to 10 F Zone 8 10 to 20 F The following zones are for the areas in these towns. If you live at a higher elevation, your zone may be lower. Aztec - Zone 5 Dolores - Zone 5 Monticello - Zone 5 Bayfield - Zone 5 Durango - Zone 5 Pagosa Springs - Zone 4 Blanding - Zone 5 Durango West - Zone 4 Shiprock - Zone 5 Bluff - Zone 6 Farmington - Zone 6 Telluride - Zone 4 Cortez - Zone 5 Mancos - Zone 5 Towaoc - Zone 5

Problems	Solutions
Relatively short growing season because of high altitude	Grow lots of perennials and shrubs that tolerate light frosts. Put tender annuals out as transplants rather than seeds to make the most of the time we have.
Winter sun and wind can dry out plants.	Water roses and newly transplanted trees and shrubs through dry winters. If you grow broad-leaved evergreens that really suffer from this problem, keep then in protected areas, or use anti-transpirants such as Wilt-Pruf.
Soil is poor - most soils in our area are heavy clay that compacts easily. They are alkaline and have very low levels of organic materials.	Add Back to Nature compost - it loosens clay, makes soil less alkaline and helps hold water. Back to Nature is also the best amendment for sandy soils. Aerate lawns annually to lessen compaction. Be aware that acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, heather and blueberries will grow here only if you add lots of peat moss to their soil and use acid type fertilizers. Don't add lime or wood ashes to our alkaline soils as these make it even more alkaline. Gypsum also does not help our soils in the long run since we already have high levels of calcium in our soil.