What to plant this week in Huntsville, AL
Huntsville gardeners are in the thick of summer harvest season, with a long window between your last frost around March 13 and first frost near late November. This week is all about pulling back on those acorn squash, butternut, and zucchini that have been ripening since spring, while garlic goes into the ground for next year's crop.
The next 7 days
Huntsville, ALGrowing in Huntsville right now
- Huntsville's rolling Red Hill terrain often creates microclimates where low spots freeze later than ridges; check your lowest-lying beds before planting any new transplants or sensitive perennials.
- The city's clay-heavy soils retain moisture well during our humid summer spells, so ensure drainage holes in containers are large enough to prevent root rot for heavy feeders like okra and melons.
- With average highs climbing into the 90s by mid-summer, provide afternoon shade for your basil and cilantro to prevent bolting before fall harvest.
- Take advantage of our mild winters to start garlic now; it will establish roots before dormancy sets in as temperatures drop toward October.
Sow this week
2 crops- Garlic
- Ornamental Allium
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
44 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Harvest acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash while they are still tender before the skins toughen up.
- Succession sow bush beans, cowpeas, and pole beans now to extend your bean harvest into late summer.
- Pinch back basil and borage regularly to encourage lush growth and prevent bolting as heat increases.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for cucumber beetles targeting your cucumbers, melons, and squash varieties as they move through the summer growing cycle.
- Spider mites can explode in Huntsville's hot, dry pockets during late July and August, especially on sunflowers and ornamental alliums.
- Root-knot nematodes are a persistent issue in our local clay soils; rotate your squash and bean families to different spots this year.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of squash and melons every 2-3 days to keep fruits from cracking and foliage from rotting.
Don't forget to harvest garlic that is listed for both sowing now and harvesting soon, as it may be a late spring crop or early fall storage bulb depending on your specific microclimate.
Huntsville gardening questions
3When is the best time to plant garlic in Huntsville for next year's harvest?
You should sow garlic now, as the soil is cooling down after summer heat. Plant cloves 2 inches deep with the pointy end up and let them establish roots before winter dormancy sets in.
My acorn squash and butternut are turning yellow, but they feel soft when I squeeze them; can I still eat them?
If the rind is still soft to the touch, cut them open immediately rather than leaving them on the vine. Harvest these squashes now while they are still immature for a fresh side dish or soup base.
My basil plants in the garden keep flowering and turning bitter; how do I fix it?
Pinch off any flower buds that appear to stop the plant from going to seed, which causes the leaves to turn bitter. If temperatures consistently hit 90°F+, move sensitive varieties like Thai or sweet basil into partial afternoon shade.
Other cities in zone 8a
11See the full zone 8a guide → · Plan your Huntsville garden in SproutGuide →