Beet Soil in Alabama: What the Root Will Meet
Alabama’s official state soil, the Bama series, is sandy, acidic and short on organic matter, which drains fast enough to suit a beet root but starves it…
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.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Alabama
Alabama peppers usually fail to set fruit for one of two reasons: a stretch of days pushing past 90 F that stalls pollen, or a run of cool nights early…
When to Start Pepper Seed in Alabama
In Alabama, start pepper seed indoors roughly 8 to 10 weeks before your local transplant date, which falls once the soil hits 60 F and the frost danger…
Growing Pumpkins in Alabama: Will They Ripen in Time?
In central Alabama, a pumpkin flower needs to open by roughly the second week of September to have a real shot at turning orange before frost.
Growing Beets in Alabama: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
The Bama series, Alabama’s official state soil, is 67 percent sand and drains fast, which means beet roots planted in ground like it will feel dry spells…
When to Plant Potatoes in Alabama: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Potatoes in Alabama go into the ground 14 to 21 days before the last spring frost, not after it.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Alabama
Dig your potatoes before the ground freezes and before the first fall frost settles over the vines, then cure them at 55-60 F for two to three weeks…
Potato Varieties That Suit Alabama
Alabama’s potato season is short and heat-limited: soil above 90°F stops tuber set and fill outright, according to Utah State University Extension and…
Growing Carrots in Alabama: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Alabama’s official state soil, the Bama series, is sandy and well drained but strongly acid and low in organic matter.
Growing Peppers in Alabama: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Pepper fruit set in Alabama runs into trouble at the top end of the thermometer more than most gardeners expect: the reference station near Huntsville…