Imported cabbageworm in Alabama: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Imported cabbageworm shows up in Alabama gardens as early as March in the southern part of the state and stays active clear through November, sometimes…
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.
Firewood in Alabama: Which Woods Your Winter Actually Needs
If you’re heating a home in Alabama, your best bets are white oak, red oak, hickory, and pecan.
Mexican bean beetle in Alabama: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Mexican bean beetles typically appear in Alabama gardens between late March and early April along the Gulf Coast, and closer to May in the northern…
Spotted cucumber beetle in Alabama: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Spotted cucumber beetles show up in Alabama gardens as soon as the soil warms in early spring, and thanks to the state’s long growing season, they keep…
Squash vine borer in Alabama: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Squash vine borer moths start flying in Alabama earlier than almost anywhere else in the country, and thanks to the state’s long growing season, many…
Corn earworm in Alabama: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Corn earworm shows up in Alabama as early as March along the Gulf Coast and keeps breeding all the way into November, which makes it one of the…
Garden Pests in Alabama: What Shows Up, When, and How to Stop It
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s top ten vegetable garden pests, how to identify each one, and which control actually works this season.
The Best Grass Seed for Alabama Lawns
Alabama’s climate supports seven warm-season grasses, ranked here by cost, shade tolerance and upkeep, from Bermudagrass and Centipedegrass to St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass.
The Alabama Lawn Care Calendar, Month by Month
A month-by-month look at warm-season lawn care in Alabama, keyed to Huntsville’s NOAA frost dates and Clemson’s species-specific maintenance calendars.
Alabama Lawn Care: What to Plant and When to Feed It
Explains which warm-season grasses suit Alabama’s climate, when to plant them, how much nitrogen to apply, and how to spot the state’s common lawn problems.