What to plant this week in Montgomery, AL
Montgomery gardeners are officially in full swing this week with the last frost date long passed, allowing you to aggressively start warm-season crops like okra and summer squash right now. With temperatures comfortably sitting above 15°F minimums, your focus shifts entirely to maximizing yield on your early sowings before the intense Alabama heat arrives.
The next 7 days
Montgomery, ALGrowing in Montgomery right now
- Montgomery's heavy clay soil requires frequent deep watering during dry spells to prevent moisture from becoming trapped too close to root systems; add compost now to improve drainage for transplants like zucchini and watermelon.
- Take advantage of the city's specific humidity by selecting heat-loving crops listed for sowing now, such as Malabar spinach and cayenne peppers, which thrive in our moist conditions where cool-season greens would fail.
- Since there are no cold-hardy options to transplant yet this week, dedicate your energy to direct sowing warm-weather favorites like bush beans and cantaloupe into prepared beds immediately after rain or irrigation.
- Monitor rainfall patterns typical for late winter/early spring in the Black Belt region; if a dry spell hits while you are establishing seedlings, water deeply early in the morning to reduce fungal pressure on delicate flowers like zinnias.
Sow this week
30 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- 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
39 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- 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 for continuous harvests.
- Mulch around young summer squash and watermelons to retain soil moisture as temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tips of zinnias and cosmos to encourage bushier growth and more blooms.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for early aphid colonies forming on tender shoots of newly sown beans and corn as humidity levels remain high.
- Check soil surfaces for cutworms that may target your bush bean and pole bean seedlings before they emerge from the clay-heavy ground.
- Inspect the undersides of leaves on sowing-now crops like cucumber and watermelon for early signs of spider mites, which can explode in population as temperatures climb above 75°F.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the morning to keep roots hydrated and reduce evaporation during hot afternoons.
Harvest bush beans when pods are tender but before they begin to flower or turn woody.
Montgomery gardening questions
3Can I finally plant my okra seeds directly into the Montgomery garden now?
Yes, this is the perfect time to sow okra; with last frost averaging March 1, the soil has warmed sufficiently for these heat-loving plants to germinate reliably without cold shock.
My watermelon and cantaloupe seeds are ready to go—do I need to harden them off?
No hardening off is needed since your seedlings will be started directly in the ground; simply sow them deep enough in warm, well-drained soil where they can immediately access the moisture Montgomery's spring rains often provide.
I have some basil and Thai basil left over from last year; should I start new plants indoors or sow outside?
Sow your basil seeds directly outdoors now, as they germinate quickly in our current warmth and you will be harvesting soon anyway; indoor starting is unnecessary unless you are growing them for a very specific early harvest timeline before mid-March.
Other cities in zone 8b
12See the full zone 8b guide → · Plan your Montgomery garden in SproutGuide →