Fall is a good time to grow food in Alabama. The air is cooler, many pests slow down, and several garden crops like the mild weather.
You can grow leafy greens, root crops, and many members of the cabbage family. The best planting time depends on the crop and where you live in the state.
What to Plant in a Fall Garden
Good fall choices include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, pak choi, spinach, and Swiss chard.
Many of these crops can handle light frost. Some even taste sweeter after cool weather. If you want crop-specific help, see our guides to growing broccoli in Alabama and growing cabbage in Alabama.
When to Plant Fall Crops
Planting dates vary across Alabama. North Alabama cools down sooner than the Gulf Coast. In many areas, late summer through fall is the main planting window for cool-season crops.
Lettuce, spinach, and other greens can be planted more than once for a longer harvest. Broccoli, cabbage, and similar crops are often set out early enough to mature before hard winter weather.
Our guide on when to plant spinach in Alabama gives a good example of how fall and spring dates can change by location.
How to Prepare the Garden
- Remove weeds and old crop debris.
- Loosen the soil only as much as needed.
- Add compost if the soil needs more organic matter.
- Plant seed or transplants at the right depth and spacing.
- Water well after planting.
- Add mulch to help hold moisture and limit weeds.
Keep the soil evenly moist while seed sprouts and young plants settle in. Do not keep the bed soggy.
Harvest Tips
Harvest broccoli before the yellow flowers open. After the main head is cut, many plants make smaller side shoots.
Cut cabbage when the head feels firm. Collards and kale can be picked leaf by leaf. Take the outer leaves first and leave the center to keep growing.
A fall garden can keep fresh food coming well into cool weather. Start with a few crops, plant on time, and keep the bed watered while plants get established.