Gardening in Peru: climate, frost dates and crops by region

Climate zones of Peru

By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.

How the regions of Peru differ

Splitting the cities in two — north (Iquitos, Sullana, Piura and 7 more) and south (Huancayo, Ayacucho, Chincha Alta and 7 more): the warmest month averages 30.6 °C by day in the north and 22.2 °C in the south.

The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Ica (20.6 °C) and smallest in Iquitos (8.5 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. Iquitos is the wettest of these cities with 2,773 mm a year, Pisco the driest with 22 mm. The hottest summer days are in Sullana (33.8 °C on average in the warmest month), the coolest in Cusco (17 °C). In 1 of the 21 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Puno (June).

Which crops suit which part of Peru

Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

Cities without a spring frost: months that suit each crop

Months whose average day is not above the highest temperature on the plant card and whose average night is not below its lowest.

Cities of Peru: weather in numbers

ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.

More about Peru

• Peru: frost dates by city
• Selling your harvest in Peru
• Where to buy seeds and plants
• When to plant tomatoes in Peru
• When to plant cucumbers in Peru
• When to plant peas in Peru
• When to plant garlic in Peru
• Gardening by country