What Eats Parsnip in Alabama, and When
In Alabama, only two of the pests the state’s extension service tracks actually target parsnip: aphids and spider mites.
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.
What Eats Carrot in Alabama, and When
Alabama Cooperative Extension System documents ten garden pests for home vegetable growers in the state, but only two of them have any real business on a…
What Eats Beet in Alabama, and When
Beet in Alabama draws a short list of insect visitors, not the long rogues’ gallery that troubles tomatoes or squash nearby.
What Eats Asparagus in Alabama, and When
In Alabama gardens, only four of the state’s documented vegetable pests show up on asparagus with any regularity: aphids, spider mites, leaffooted bugs…
Why Hydrangeas Are Pink in Alabama, and How to Turn Them Blue
Pink or blue isn’t about the plant at all. It’s about what’s locked inside your soil.
When to Prune Roses in Alabama
Prune most roses in Alabama between mid-February and early March, timed to your local last frost rather than a fixed calendar square.
What Eats Pepper in Alabama, and When
Five insects feed on pepper plants in Alabama gardens, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System: aphids, corn earworm (also called tomato…
What Eats Garlic in Alabama, and When
Garlic in Alabama gets bothered by generalist feeders more than by dedicated garlic pests: aphids and spider mites are the two documented species that…
Growing Hydrangeas in Alabama: Types, Color and Winter
Alabama gardeners can grow hydrangeas successfully almost anywhere in the state, but the shrub you choose and the winter protection it needs depend…
Growing Roses in Alabama: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Roses in Alabama live or die by two things most gardeners underestimate: how well the soil drains after summer downpours, and how disciplined you are…