Mobile Vegetable Planting Calendar | Urban Farmer

Grow with confidence

Mobile Vegetable Planting Calendar

Use Mobile climate patterns to see this month’s garden tasks and crop-by-crop planting windows for the humid Gulf Coastal Plain of southern Alabama.

Official 2023 USDA Alabama Plant Hardiness Zone Map
USDA Zones 9aMost Mobile neighborhoods fall in USDA Zones 9a
Last spring frostTypical date: February 20
First fall frostTypical date: December 5
Cool season

Plant through winter

Broccoli, lettuce, peas, carrots, radishes and leafy greens perform best from fall through early spring.

Warm season

Use spring warmth

Use Alabama Extension’s South Alabama dates: spring plantings generally begin about 10 days earlier and fall plantings about 10 days later than central Alabama.

Late summer

Restart the cool garden

Begin fall brassicas indoors and prepare beds for direct-sown roots and greens as temperatures moderate.

Local dates, crop by crop

Mobile Planting Dates

Choose a season and search for a crop to see when to start seeds indoors, move plants outside, direct sow and finish planting in the Mobile area.

Mobile–Mobile CountyUSDA Zones 9a · typical last frost February 20 · typical first frost December 5

Spring planting

Planting Dates for Spring

Dates use Mobile valley-floor climate timing. Intense summer heat, dry air and nearby foothill elevation can change planting and harvest windows. Always check soil temperature and the 10-day forecast before planting.

Crop Start seeds indoors Transplant or plant outdoors Direct sow outdoors Last recommended planting Shop

Use the dates with confidence

How to Read This Calendar

1

Start indoors

Sow in trays under strong light. The window is timed so seedlings reach transplant size without becoming root-bound.

2

Transplant or plant

Harden seedlings off for about a week. Perennial crowns, sets and seed potatoes are included in this column.

3

Direct sow

Plant seed directly into prepared soil. Cool-season crops can begin before frost; heat-loving crops need warm soil.

4

Last planting

This is the practical end of the selected window—not a guarantee. Variety maturity and unusual weather can move it.

Keep soil working after harvest

Fall Cover Crop Planting Calendar

These windows are calculated from this city’s approximate first fall frost. Sow into an open bed after harvesting vegetables, then follow the selected crop’s product directions.

Cover crop Best for Approx. planting window Winter behavior
Buckwheat Quick biomass · pollinators Sep 26–Oct 10 Frost-killed
Oats Biomass · nutrient capture Sep 26–Oct 24 Usually winter-killed
Field Peas Nitrogen · cool-season growth Sep 26–Oct 24 Often winter-killed
Daikon Radish Compaction · nutrient capture Sep 26–Oct 24 Usually winter-killed
Crimson Clover Nitrogen · pollinators Oct 10–Oct 24 Overwinters where adapted
Annual Ryegrass Roots · erosion control Oct 10–Nov 7 Manage before seed set
Hairy Vetch Nitrogen · spring biomass Oct 24–Nov 7 Overwinters in many areas
Cereal Rye Erosion · weeds · biomass Oct 24–Nov 21 Very winter-hardy
Winter Wheat Erosion · nutrient capture Oct 24–Nov 21 Winter-hardy

Planting windows are planning estimates. Check the product page for seeding rate, regional adaptation, inoculation needs, and termination timing.

Mobile soil checkpoints

Let Soil Temperature Be the Final Check

Calendar dates start the conversation. A simple soil thermometer helps confirm that the seedbed is actually ready.

40–50°FPeas, spinach, radishes and other hardy crops
55–60°FBeans, corn and many moderately warm crops
65°F+Cucumbers, squash, melons, okra and other heat lovers
Current Mobile soil temperatureLoading…Modeled near 2½ inches deep
Checking current conditions

Use this modeled reading as a local reference, then confirm conditions in your own garden with a soil thermometer.

Weather data by Open-Meteo

Selected for the current planting window

Seeds to Plant Now

References: Alabama Cooperative Extension System Vegetable Seasons in Alabama and Planting Guide for Home Gardening in Alabama, with locally adjusted frost-date planning estimates; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map; and Open-Meteo modeled soil-temperature data. the humid Gulf Coastal Plain of southern Alabama contains meaningful neighborhood microclimates, so dates and live conditions are planning estimates, not guarantees.