Alabama vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Alabama, the average last spring frost is March 13 in Montgomery and March 21 in Birmingham (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Montgomery and Birmingham for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Alabama, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Montgomery
When to plant tomatoes in Montgomery?
In Montgomery, Alabama, the average last spring frost is March 13 and the average first fall frost is November 13 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, MONTGOMERY AP station, 14.1 km from ZIP 36104). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors February 15 to April 23, plant out seedlings April 1 to April 30 and plant out seedlings for fall July 1 to July 31, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Montgomery (36104)
- Last spring frost: Mar 13 on average, Mar 31 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 13 on average, Oct 31 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Feb 1 to Feb 28 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 1 to Aug 31 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Jan 25 to Mar 3 Plant out seedlings: Feb 7 to Mar 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 1 to Aug 15 |
| Cabbage | Plant out seedlings: Jan 1 to Feb 15 Start seeds indoors: Jan 18 to Feb 14 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 2 to Aug 10 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 20 to Sep 20 |
| Cauliflower | Plant out seedlings: Jan 1 to Feb 15 Start seeds indoors: Feb 1 to Mar 3 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 25 to Aug 10 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 15 to May 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 20 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 4 to Apr 2 Plant out seedlings: Apr 15 to May 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 20 |
| Green onion | Plant out seedlings: Dec 24 to Mar 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Oct 1 to Feb 28 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Jan 24 to Mar 2 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 15 to Sep 15 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Jan 15 to Feb 28 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 15 to Sep 1 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 30 |
| Okra | Sow outdoors: Apr 10 to Jun 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 18 to Jul 13 |
| Onion | Plant out seedlings: Jan 15 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 15 to Oct 15 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Feb 1 to Feb 28 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Feb 15 to Mar 17 Plant out seedlings: Apr 1 to May 10 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 31 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Feb 1 to Feb 28 Plant seed potatoes for fall: Aug 1 to Aug 15 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 5 to Aug 20 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Feb 15 to Mar 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 1 to Sep 30 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 1 to Aug 15 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Jun 1 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Mar 18 to Apr 16 Plant out slips: Apr 15 to Jun 15 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Feb 15 to Apr 23 Plant out seedlings: Apr 1 to Apr 30 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 31 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 1 to Apr 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 15 to Aug 1 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Apr 16 to Jul 16 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Jan 17 to Mar 16 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 21 to Oct 5 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Mar 16 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 6 to Sep 20 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Jan 30 to Mar 6 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Oct 2 |
Birmingham
When to plant tomatoes in Birmingham?
In Birmingham, Alabama, the average last spring frost is March 21 and the average first fall frost is November 11 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, BIRMINGHAM AP station, 8 km from ZIP 35203). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors February 23 to May 1, plant out seedlings April 9 to May 8 and plant out seedlings for fall June 29 to July 29, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Birmingham (35203)
- Last spring frost: Mar 21 on average, Apr 8 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 11 on average, Oct 30 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Feb 9 to Mar 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 30 to Aug 29 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 2 to Mar 11 Plant out seedlings: Feb 15 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 30 to Aug 13 |
| Cabbage | Plant out seedlings: Jan 9 to Feb 23 Start seeds indoors: Jan 26 to Feb 22 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 30 to Aug 8 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Apr 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 18 to Sep 18 |
| Cauliflower | Plant out seedlings: Jan 9 to Feb 23 Start seeds indoors: Feb 9 to Mar 11 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 23 to Aug 8 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to May 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 29 to Jul 18 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 12 to Apr 10 Plant out seedlings: Apr 23 to May 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 29 to Jul 18 |
| Green onion | Plant out seedlings: Jan 1 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 29 to Feb 26 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Feb 1 to Mar 10 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 13 to Sep 13 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Jan 23 to Mar 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 13 to Aug 30 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to May 8 |
| Okra | Sow outdoors: Apr 18 to Jul 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 16 to Jul 11 |
| Onion | Plant out seedlings: Jan 23 to Mar 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 13 to Oct 13 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Feb 9 to Mar 8 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Feb 23 to Mar 25 Plant out seedlings: Apr 9 to May 18 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 29 to Jul 29 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Feb 9 to Mar 8 Plant seed potatoes for fall: Jul 30 to Aug 13 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to May 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 3 to Aug 18 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Feb 23 to Mar 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 30 to Sep 28 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to May 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 30 to Aug 13 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Jun 9 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Mar 26 to Apr 24 Plant out slips: Apr 23 to Jun 23 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Feb 23 to May 1 Plant out seedlings: Apr 9 to May 8 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 29 to Jul 29 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to May 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 13 to Jul 30 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Apr 24 to Jul 24 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Jan 25 to Mar 24 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 19 to Oct 3 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Mar 24 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 4 to Sep 18 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Feb 7 to Mar 14 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 22 to Sep 30 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Planting Guide for Home Gardening in Alabama (ANR-0063). Checked October 21, 2026.
- University of Georgia Extension, Vegetable Gardening in Georgia (Vegetable Planting Chart) (Circular 963). Checked October 21, 2026.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide (Table 8) (E-502). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
Other states
All states Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming