25 Tips for Year Round Gardening in Alabama USA

Alabama is a great state for raising a diverse range of plants and flowers. Broken into five distinctive geological regions, you have your choice of planting in the high altitudes of the Talladega Mountains, or the Coastal Plain that covers a large part of the state. Alabama has been rated the fifth richest biological state in the union.

Climate also plays a big part for gardening in Alabama. The northern part of the state has soil similar to the Midwestern states, while the southern portion consists of marshy areas of the Gulf.

Here are 25 tips for year round gardening, regardless of where you live in this great state. Northern Alabama Gardening Advice:

1. March is the time to set out Cabbage, Onions, Lettuce, Broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.

2. Wait until November, before adding more rose bush plants, to your existing flower garden.

3. Camellias, the state flower, grow nicely when planted under those feathery pine trees. The sunshine filters through nicely.

4. Attract butterflies, hummingbirds and Japanese beetles, to your garden, by planting Four o'clock flowers.

5. The perfect flowering shrub for the Piedmont region is the Fothergilla. It loves acidic soil, delivers fragrance, and is very low maintenance.

6. Half-hearty flowers, such as Ageratum, alyssum, Celosia, Phlox, Petunia, Sunflower, Salpiglossis, Thunbergia, are good selections for the northern Piedmont region.

7. There are also tender annuals that do well in well-drained soil such as Godetia, Balsam, Nicotiana, Portulaca, Salvia, Zinnia, Phlox, Periwinkle, Nasturtium, Cockscomb, Begonia, Coleus, Marigold, and impatiens.

8. Creeping violas do not have to be a bad thing. The intoxicating scent can create a haven for your garden. However, you can control the spread with a border of wood chips.

9. Join the MGNA (Master Gardeners of North Alabama), a voluntary group dedicated to bringing education to those interested in the field of horticulture.

Southern Alabama Gardening Tips: 10. Tomatoes and peppers will thrive when set out in March.

11. July is the best time to put those turnips, rutabagas, beans, and peas, in the ground.

12. No green thumb needed for bringing the Louisiana Iris to life, when faced with marshy conditions. They love the natural water found along the American Gulf Coast.

13. Plant bald Cyprus as a lovely backyard landscaping tool for a shaded summer time area and a spectacular hint of sunshine, in the winter, with soft, feathery foliage.

14. Select hardy annuals, such as California poppy, Snapdragon, Calendula, Coreopsis, Candytuft, Gaillardia, Gypsophila, larkspur, poppies, stocks, sweet peas, verbena, dianthus, and pansies to add color to your yard.

15. Fruits and nuts, such as Pecans, Peaches, Pears, apples, plums, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, Gooseberries, blackberries, hickory, walnuts, Dewberries, and strawberries, enjoy the moist, hot climate of southern Alabama. Great Tips for all Alabama Gardening

16. Use red wigglers to make the best vermicompost in Alabama. Use kitchen scraps to feed these hungry friends that can consume half their weight in food each day.

17. Fire ants dislike biodiversity and healthy compost fits this bill, nicely. Spread around the edges of your garden to stop fire ants cold. A little molasses, on top, can further detain.

18. Move your veggies around each year. When their desired spot is found, you will recognize the difference.

19. Avoid fighting Mother Nature. Instead, go with the flow of natural developed wildflowers in your distinct Alabama area.

20. Keep that leftover breakfast coffee and use as a deterrent against slugs and other garden intruders. While caffeine may be a stimulant to humans, it is deadly to creeping predators.

21. Add a backdrop of beauty to your vegetable garden by planting deer-resistant plants, such as Caryopteris, Epdimedium, Goldenrod, and Rosemary.

22. When the pine needles begin to die and pile around your trees, rake them up and use as mulch.

23. Never freak when you see those tiny green snakes. They are around to clean up the insects that prey on your veggies.

24. Get your flower bulbs, plants and bushes, planted in December and January. They will have a head start in the spring.

25. There's a new bug in town, the Megacopta cribraria, or the kudzu bug, is becoming a pest, much like the Asian lady bug. If you see an infestation on your beans, or your house, call your County Extension office for help.

The charming hills, mountains, flat lands, and marshes, can become a haven for many varieties of plants, flowers and food. The climate is especially pleasing for staying active in year round gardening.

---