When to Cut Spinach in Alabama, and How Long It Really Keeps
Cut spinach in Alabama in two short windows: a spring crop sown a few weeks before the last frost and harvested before the heat arrives, and a fall crop…
Alabama
Home and garden guidance for Alabama: planting dates for its climate zones, the codes that apply locally, and the rebates residents can actually claim.
Gardening in Alabama
Everything we have worked out for Alabama: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Huntsville, the last spring freeze runs March 19 to April 3 and the first fall freeze runs November 2 to November 16, USDA zones 7a-9a, 5,449 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 13 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Alabama: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Alabama, and How Fast It Fades
Sweet corn is ready 60 to 90 days after planting, depending on the variety, and in Alabama that count does not start on the last frost date.
When to Pick Peppers in Alabama, and Why the Fridge Ruins Them
Pick peppers once the fruit is full size and firm. Clemson Extension puts that at about 70 to 85 days after transplanting.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Alabama
In Alabama, aerate in summer while the grass is growing at full speed, and not in fall.
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Alabama
Most Alabama lawns never need dethatching. Cut a wedge of turf, and if the brown, spongy layer measures under 0.5 inch, put the rake away.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in Alabama?
For trees and shrubs in Alabama, the safe fall target is September 21 to October 5, which is six weeks before the first fall frost.
Hedge Plants for Alabama: What Holds, and What Only Looks Hardy
Twelve hedge species show up again and again in Alabama nursery lots and extension bulletins.
What Do Homes in Alabama Cool With?
In Alabama, air conditioning is close to universal: 94% of homes report using some form of cooling equipment, and the large majority of that is a central…
When to Pull Carrots in Alabama, and How to Keep Them
Pull carrots when the shoulder, the top of the root right at the soil line, reaches about three-quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter across, and…
Roof Snow Load, Wind Speed and Ice Barrier Rules in Alabama
Huntsville’s design snow load, wind speed and ice barrier rules explained, with the code that applies in Alabama and what each figure means for a roof permit.