The Chihuahuan Desert, long a corridor for trade between Mexico City and Santa Fe, New Mexico, is now home to five million people. The Rio Grande basin covers 172,000 square miles, crossing three U.S. states, more than a dozen Native American nations and five Mexican states.
Plant Answers. PLANT: March is a month to plant the gardener's favorite vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet corn and snap beans and pepper as well as cucumbers, lima or butter beans, cantaloupe, okra (if the soil has warmed sufficiently --70 degrees F. or higher), southern peas, pumpkin, squash, peanuts and watermelon.
In July there is still enough warm weather in the growing season to plant short-maturing, hot-weather crops such as green beans, corn and cucumbers. If starting a winter garden is your plan, this is the month to sow cool-season crops such as lettuce, peas, carrots and spinach. Vegetables to transplant this month include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Timing is essential for vegetables to grow in July.