Alabama's warm, humid climate provides one of the longest growing seasons in the eastern United States. Gardeners in the Gulf Coast region near Mobile can plant nearly year-round, while northern Alabama around Huntsville has a more moderate but still generous season.
The state's rich soils and abundant rainfall support excellent vegetable production. Alabama gardeners can often harvest both spring and fall crops of warm-season vegetables, and cool-season crops can be grown through much of the winter in the southern half of the state.
The last frost date is the typical date in spring when your area has its final frost. After this date, it's generally safe to plant warm-season crops outdoors.
Start tomato seeds indoors about 6–8 weeks before your last frost date. In central Alabama, that's typically late January to mid-February. The Gulf Coast can start even earlier.
Yes — cool-season crops like lettuce, peas, spinach, and broccoli can handle light frost and should be planted 4–6 weeks before your last frost date.
Northern Alabama near Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley is significantly cooler than the Gulf Coast near Mobile. Frost dates can differ by 3-4 weeks across the state.
The Mobile Bay area and Gulf Coast rarely see hard frosts. You can grow cool-season crops through winter and start warm-season crops very early. Enter your zip code for exact dates.
You enter your zip code, and we look up your local frost dates. Then based on the crops you pick, we calculate when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — personalized to your location.