Growing vegetables in Alabama can be rewarding if you choose the right plants for our hot, humid climate. Our long growing season and plentiful rainfall create perfect conditions for many vegetables to thrive.
With a little know-how, you can enjoy fresh produce from your garden nearly year-round.
1. Sweet Potatoes Love The Heat
Alabama’s warm soil and long growing season create the perfect home for sweet potatoes. The hotter it gets, the happier these orange beauties become!
Plant slips after the last frost and harvest in fall when the leaves start to yellow. Sweet potatoes need minimal care – just keep them watered during dry spells and watch them flourish in our humid conditions.
2. Okra Thrives When Others Wilt
Nothing says Southern gardening quite like okra standing tall in the summer heat. When temperatures climb into the 90s and humidity makes everything sticky, okra just keeps on producing.
Plant seeds directly in the ground after soil warms up completely. Regular harvesting encourages more production – pick pods when they’re 2-3 inches long for the best texture and flavor. The beautiful hibiscus-like flowers are an added bonus!
3. Collard Greens For Year-Round Harvests
Sturdy and resilient, collard greens laugh in the face of Alabama’s weather extremes. While many greens bolt and turn bitter in summer heat, collards keep producing nutritious leaves.
Fall planting often yields the sweetest harvest, but spring plantings work too. Harvest outer leaves as needed, leaving the center to continue growing. A light frost actually improves their flavor by converting starches to sugar – making them a true year-round Alabama vegetable.
4. Peppers Bring The Heat (And Take It Too)
Bell peppers, jalapeños, and cayennes absolutely love Alabama’s hot, humid growing conditions. Their tropical heritage makes them perfectly suited for our summer weather patterns.
Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost or buy transplants. Peppers appreciate consistent moisture but hate wet feet, so mulch heavily. For maximum production, add calcium to prevent blossom end rot – a common issue in our humid climate.
5. Eggplant Embraces Alabama Summers
Gorgeous purple fruits dangling from sturdy plants make eggplant both ornamental and delicious in Alabama gardens. Like their pepper cousins, eggplants crave heat and humidity.
Plant after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Regular harvesting keeps plants producing through summer and into fall. Black Beauty and Ichiban varieties perform exceptionally well in our climate, resisting many common humidity-related diseases.
6. Muscadine Grapes (The Southern Survivor)
Native to the Southeast, muscadine grapes have evolved specifically to handle our humidity and disease pressure. Unlike European varieties that struggle here, muscadines thrive with minimal care.
Plant these vigorous growers where they have plenty of space and strong support. The thick-skinned fruits appear in late summer through fall and resist most fungal issues that plague other grape varieties. Carlos and Scuppernong varieties offer excellent production in home gardens.
7. Field Peas: Southern Garden Staples
Black-eyed peas, crowder peas, and purple hull peas belong to this heat-loving family that fixes nitrogen while providing protein-rich harvests. Alabama’s long growing season allows multiple plantings for extended harvests.
Direct sow seeds after soil warms in spring. Field peas actually prefer our poor clay soils and drought conditions, making them perfect low-maintenance crops. Leave some pods to dry on the vine for winter storage – they’ll provide meals long after summer ends.
8. Bush Beans: Fast And Reliable
From snap beans to romano types, bush beans deliver quick harvests in Alabama gardens. Their compact growth habit makes them perfect for small spaces and succession planting.
Direct sow seeds after frost danger passes, then plant new rows every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvests. Bush beans prefer consistent moisture but hate wet foliage, so water at the base. Blue Lake and Provider varieties resist many humidity-related diseases that plague beans in our climate.
9. Tomatoes (With The Right Varieties)
While tomatoes can be challenging in extreme humidity, choosing resistant varieties makes all the difference in Alabama gardens. Cherokee Purple, Better Boy, and Homestead have proven themselves humidity champions.
Plant after soil warms and stake or cage immediately. Mulch heavily to prevent soil-borne disease splash and water consistently. Pruning lower leaves improves air circulation, crucial for preventing the fungal issues that our humidity encourages.
10. Summer Squash: Prolific Producers
Yellow crookneck, zucchini, and pattypan squash grow so vigorously in Alabama that gardeners often joke about locking their cars to avoid finding unwanted zucchini on the passenger seat!
Direct sow after frost danger passes or start indoors for earlier harvests. Squash bugs and powdery mildew can be challenges in our humidity, so choose resistant varieties and provide good air circulation. Harvest frequently – young squash have better flavor and continued picking encourages more production.
11. Cucumber Vines For Summer Refreshment
Few vegetables say summer like crisp cucumbers, and they adore Alabama’s heat when given proper support. Trellising keeps fruits clean and straight while maximizing garden space.
Plant seeds after soil warms or start transplants indoors. Consistent watering prevents bitter fruits – a common issue during our hot spells. Straight Eight and Armenian varieties handle humidity particularly well. Harvest frequently to keep plants producing through the hottest months.
12. Sweet Corn: Summer Gold
Golden ears of homegrown corn make the summer heat worthwhile! Alabama’s long growing season allows multiple plantings for extended harvests from June through September.
Plant in blocks rather than rows for better pollination once soil warms completely. Silver Queen and Peaches & Cream varieties perform beautifully in our conditions. Consistent moisture during silking ensures well-filled ears. The satisfaction of picking sun-warmed corn and cooking it minutes later makes any garden work worthwhile.