What to plant this week in Mobile, AL
Mobile gardeners should treat this week as the start of your serious summer harvest window, with tender crops like basil and okra ready to pull from the heat. The lingering risk of a late freeze is low, but the real challenge remains managing rapid growth against humidity-driven pests in our coastal clay soil.
The next 7 days
Mobile, ALGrowing in Mobile right now
- Our heavy, clay-rich soils retain moisture well during this humid stretch; ensure you are mulching heavily around squash and pumpkins to prevent rotting vines.
- With no frost expected before mid-December, focus your energy on succession planting bush beans and cucumbers now for late summer abundance rather than worrying about winter hardiness.
- Native Black-Eyed Peas (Cowpeas) thrive here in the heat; if you see them flowering but not setting pods, check that pollinators aren't being deterred by excessive insecticide use.
- While transplants are rarely needed this week due to the intense heat, seedlings sown indoors weeks ago for basil and sweet corn should be hardened off gradually before hitting the full sun.
Sow this week
34 crops- Basil
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow Bush Beans and Pole Beans every two weeks now for a continuous summer supply.
- Mulch around newly transplanted Warm-Season crops like Zucchini to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- Pinch back the tips of young Sunflowers to encourage bushier growth before they start flowering.
- Prepare soil beds with compost if you plan to sow Pumpkin or Winter Squash soon.
Pest & disease watch
- The high humidity is currently spiking populations of aphids on young sunflower and cosmos tops; spray with neem oil early in the morning.
- Spider mites are a persistent threat to French marigolds and Garden Verbena during these dry spells between heavy rains.
- Monitor okra and bush bean plants for loopers, which chew through foliage rapidly when temperatures stay above 85°F.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to minimize evaporation, especially as temperatures rise past 85°F.
Harvest Basil regularly by snipping leafy stems from the top to keep the plant producing new growth all summer long.
Mobile gardening questions
3My okra and basil are flowering too early; should I pinch them back?
For okra, leave the flowers alone as they indicate the plant is settling into its productive cycle. For basil, however, pinching off flower buds will encourage more leaf growth if you plan to harvest herbs for the kitchen.
How do I protect my squash and zucchini from squash vine borers in Mobile?
The most effective local strategy is to place a 4-inch ring of aluminum foil or cardboard around the base of each plant at planting time. This barrier prevents adult moths from laying eggs near the soil line where larvae can burrow upward.
Is it safe to harvest garlic now that the frost dates have passed?
While there are no more frosts, wait until a dry spell occurs before pulling your garlic crop to allow the bulbs to cure properly in the field. Harvesting during heavy rain will introduce moisture and rot into the bulbs.
Other cities in zone 9a
9See the full zone 9a guide → · Plan your Mobile garden in SproutGuide →