Greenhouses and high tunnels are a lifesaver for Alabama farmers this time of year, because it allows them to extend their growing season.
Instead of waiting to plant in the field after the last frost, farmers can go ahead and plant inside now. This means they get a jumpstart on prepping for their early season spring crops!
Greenhouses are a warm and protective environment.
Right now, Henke Farms (Cullman County) is using their greenhouse to seed early cabbage, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and a few early tomatoes and peppers. We should start seeing these items at market around mid-to-late March.
This month, farmers Tammy and Christine Henke will bring sweet potatoes with jams, jellies, relishes, and pickles to market.
Ireland Farms (Talladega County) will kick off the market season with winter veggies like collards, kale, bok choy, lettuces, carrots, scallions, kohlrabi, and microgreens to name a few.
Farmer Scott Ireland says their indoor germination spaces are filled with early season plants like tomatoes and peppers to get a head start for summer.
Whited Farms (Blount County) will have Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, broccoli, and red beets for the first market on January 31.
Fabric covers trap the sun’s warmth. So the covers help protect the plants from severe low temps.
Like many growers in the area, Farmer Brad Mathis also uses fabric to cover his outdoor rows.
The Mathis Mini Farm (Chilton County) says they plan to bring winter favorites like lettuces, kale, turnip greens, carrots, and spinach. They’re waiting to begin planting other veggies until this cold front moves through!
STRAWBERRY UPDATE
We checked in with The Mathis Mini Farm and Whited Farms to see how their strawberry fields are looking today.
Both Mathis and Whited are working hard to protect their early season strawberry plants from the anticipated cold weather happening this weekend and early next week.
However, Whited is hoping to see the first strawberries in late February or early March, and Mathis hopes to see their first berries in early-to-mid March.
The weather is the deciding factor for when strawberries will be ready.
This month, fruit growers across Alabama are focused on protecting their strawberries, blueberries, and peach trees from the scary low temps moving our way.
ALWAYS IN SEASON: mushrooms, honey, and meat
