State × crop calendar
Alfalfa planting in Arizona.
- Secondary crop
- Zone 8b
- 240-day season
- Last frost March 15
- Forage
- Frost Hardy
Alfalfa planting in Arizona is shaped by the state's 8b dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around March 15, and a 240-day growing season. Alfalfa is grown in Arizona but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Arizona Cooperative Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Alfalfa · Arizona · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Spring planting
AlfalfaEarliest
February 23
Ideal start
March 8
Ideal end
April 5
Latest
April 26
Soil-temp trigger
Spring seeding: cool-season germination at 45°F+. Fall seeding: 60-90 days before first hard freeze for establishment.Fall planting
AlfalfaEarliest
August 27
Ideal start
September 11
Ideal end
September 26
Latest
October 11
Soil-temp trigger
Spring seeding: cool-season germination at 45°F+. Fall seeding: 60-90 days before first hard freeze for establishment.Harvest window
Typical start
May 7
Typical end
June 6
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Alfalfa can be successfully grown in Arizona with attention to variety selection. The state's 240-day growing season requires choosing varieties appropriate for the growing window.
Alfalfa is grown in Arizona but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Agronomy reference
Alfalfa fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
45°F
Soil-temp optimum
50–75°F
Days to maturity
60–90
Water (in/wk)
0.7–1"
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
Nitrogen demand
low
Establishment year produces limited harvest. Stand life 4-6 years with proper management. Spring vs. fall seeding strategy varies by region.
Common pests to watch
- Alfalfa weevil
- Potato leafhopper
- Aphids
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Common diseases
- Sclerotinia crown rot
- Verticillium wilt
- Phytophthora root rot
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Alfalfa varieties for Arizona live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension →Search the extension site for “alfalfa variety trial” or “recommended alfalfa varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Alfalfa timing. Live alerts.
Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
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