Field guide · Alabama

When to Plant in Alabama: A Landscaping Calendar

Published Nov 2, 2026 · VettedLandscapers editorial

Short answer

Plant trees and shrubs from October through January. Alabama Extension calls that "the ideal planting season," because roots keep growing through fall and winter. Start warm-season lawns (bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine) from spring into summer, while the grass is growing. Seed tall fescue in north Alabama in September or October. Feed warm-season lawns only after they've fully greened up, and stop at the end of August.

Most landscaping work in Alabama has a right season, so it pays to book ahead. This calendar comes from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama Extension), so you can plan the job and book the crew at the right time.

Your zone

On a ZIP-code lookup built from the 2023 USDA hardiness zone data, which uses winter lows recorded from 1991 to 2020, our Alabama cities run from 8a in Huntsville and Birmingham to 8b in Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and Auburn and 9a in Mobile. Zones tell you which perennials are most likely to thrive where you live; USDA calls winter cold "a crucial factor in the survival of plants." The seasons below are Extension's statewide calendar; where it singles out a region, we say so.

The year at a glance

When	Trees and shrubs	Lawns
Jan to Feb	Keep planting: "Plant shrubs and trees, including broadleaf, narrow leaf, and deciduous." Prune shrubs before new growth starts, but not early bloomers. Cut out winter-damaged limbs.	Soil test and lime. Apply a pre-emergent if you missed the fall one and spring weeds were a problem.
Mar	Late plantings still work, "particularly if they are container grown." Wait to prune hollies and other fruiting shrubs until after they flower.	Plant bermuda, zoysia and centipede in south Alabama.
Apr	Prune spring-flowering shrubs right after they bloom.	New lawns keep going in. Start mowing as growth begins. Dethatch bermuda or zoysia if the thatch is over half an inch, once it's actively growing. Feed only after the lawn is fully green.
May	New shrubs "need extra care now." Mulch them if you haven't.	Start lawns from seed. Feed all four warm-season grasses. St. Augustine's planting window opens.
Jun	Water new plantings deeply.	Planting can continue "if soil is moist." Feed bermuda and St. Augustine; skip centipede and zoysia. Mow every 5 to 10 days.
Aug	Don't fertilize trees and shrubs now; new growth may not harden off before frost.	Last feeding for bermuda and St. Augustine. Stop feeding warm-season grass at the end of the month.
Sep	Walk the yard and note what to replace this fall.	Seed or reseed tall fescue in north Alabama. Overseed ryegrass if you want winter green. Apply a pre-emergent if winter or spring weeds were a problem.
Oct to Dec	Prime planting time. Mulch shrubs and renew old mulch. In December, hold off when it's freezing.	Feed fescue in October and November. Soil test and lime. Pull winter weeds.

From Alabama Extension's monthly gardener's calendar and lawn publications. The calendar lists lawn planting in March for south Alabama and gives no separate date for the rest of the state.

Trees and shrubs: plant in fall and winter

Alabama Extension's woody plant guide is direct: "The ideal planting season begins in October and continues through January." The reason: "Roots grow during the fall and winter months, enabling them to become established before warm weather and spring growth." A shrub planted in October has months of root growth before its first July. One planted in May has weeks.

New plants still need water their first year. Extension says to wet the soil "to a depth of 8 to 10 inches," and that after the first year most landscape plants don't need extra watering.

Booking tip: if you want a fall planting, get the design done and quotes in hand by late summer.

Lawns: which grass, and when

Grass	Where it fits	How it goes in	When	Mowing height
Bermudagrass	Statewide, full sun	Sod or sprigs; some types from seed	Spring into summer	1 to 2 in.
Zoysiagrass	Statewide; takes some shade	Mostly sod or plugs	Spring into summer	1¾ to 2½ in.
Centipedegrass	Central and south Alabama	Seed, sod, plugs or sprigs	Seed April to July	1 to 1½ in.
St. Augustinegrass	Mostly the southern half	Sod, plugs or sprigs only	May to August	3 to 4 in. (newer dwarf types 2 to 3 in.)
Tall fescue	North Alabama	Seed, 5 to 8 lb per 1,000 sq ft	September to October	3 in. in summer

Bermuda and zoysia heights are from Extension's south Alabama maintenance schedule (ANR-3107); centipede, St. Augustine and fescue from each grass's Extension publication. Extension's publications don't always agree, so ask your installer what fits your variety.

A few things worth knowing before you pay for sod:

St. Augustine can't be seeded. "All St. Augustinegrass varieties are established vegetatively as sprigs, plugs, or sod," and its use in Alabama "is somewhat limited to the southern half of the state."
Most zoysias go in as sod or plugs. Han says "the vast majority of them have to be planted vegetatively."
Centipede is slow and fussy about fertilizer. It fills in slowly, so weeds invade new plantings. Too much nitrogen and high soil pH contribute to "centipedegrass decline," and it can yellow above a soil pH of 6.5.
Ryegrass overseeding has a cost. Extension notes it "makes weed control much more difficult," and by late spring the ryegrass competes with the bermuda.

See what sod costs, or browse sod installation companies in Alabama.

Feeding, mowing and watering

Feed after green-up, not before. Extension's calendar says to "wait until warm-season lawns are fully green before applying any fertilizers." Han puts the first feeding at mid-April to early May in the Deep South and early May farther north, once soil temperatures stay in the 70s.
Stop at the end of August. That's the calendar's cutoff for warm-season turf. Tall fescue is the opposite: "Most of the fertilizer should be applied to tall fescue lawns in the fall."
Mow often. Every 5 to 10 days in season, taking off no more than a third of the blade, and leave the clippings.
Water by need, not by the calendar. Extension's Water Smart advice: apply half to three-quarters of an inch "when grass shows signs of distress, such as bluish-gray color or folded leaf blades," early in the morning, and avoid 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Two to three times per month is sufficient but not always necessary."
Test the soil first. Extension calls it "wasteful to blindly apply fertilizers without soil test recommendations." Auburn University's soil testing lab runs the tests, and your county Extension office has sample containers.

If a lawn company sprays weed or insect control, it needs a state license in Alabama. See our Alabama license guide.

Weeds: get ahead of crabgrass

The calendar's rule is to apply a pre-emergent in September or October if winter or spring weeds were a problem, and in January or February if you missed the fall application. For crabgrass specifically, Alabama Extension agent Tim Crow has advised starting pre-emergents in mid-February, because "crab grass germination usually begins around late March and early April."

Pruning

Spring bloomers set flower buds on last year's growth, so prune them "in the spring after flowering."
Summer bloomers, including crape myrtles, get pruned "during the dormant season, usually in the early spring before growth begins."
In February, prune shrubs before new growth starts, but "don't prune early-blooming species because flower buds will be removed."

Before anyone digs: Alabama 811

Alabama law requires notice to Alabama 811 "at least two but not more than 10 working days prior to the start of the proposed excavation." It's free; call 811 or file online. A ticket is good for 20 working days from the planned start. A revised law takes effect January 1, 2027. It keeps those time limits. Among the changes: digging can start early once every utility has responded that its lines are marked or not affected, and the law now covers hand digging, except by property owners using hand tools on their own land. If you hire someone to dig, make sure they place the ticket.

Drought and watering rules

We found no statewide lawn-watering schedule in Alabama. The state's Office of Water Resources issues drought declarations at four levels (Advisory, Watch, Warning and Emergency), and each community water system must keep its own drought plan, which is where any watering limits come from. In a dry year, check your water utility's rules before you plant.

We found nothing on landscaping in Alabama's Homeowners' Association Act, so check your neighborhood's own covenants for lawn and plant rules before you plan a big change out front.

Find a landscaper in Alabama

We list 262 landscaping companies in Alabama, including Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile and Auburn. Before you hire, read which Alabama licenses apply and the checks to make before you sign.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Rules and prices change; check with the agency or business before you rely on them. Spot something wrong? Tell us.