The Alabama Vegetable Gardener Handbook offers valuable resources for both the beginning and veteran gardener.

Find links to all the sections of the Alabama Vegetable Gardener below.

Part 1—Planning for the Home Garden
Part 2 

Nematodes Could Be the Reason Garden Is Unproductive is part 14 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Some gardeners are surprised to find that their gardens are not producing as many vegetables as they had expected. There could be s…

Control Diseases for Top-Quality Tomatoes is part 13 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Tomatoes are by far the favorite and most widely grown vegetable in home gardens. Nothing can be more satisfying than picking a juicy red toma…

Vegetable Information is part 12 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Alabama’s moderate climate and generally abundant rainfall mean the state’s gardeners can grow vegetables virtually year-round.

You may also want to download A…

Home-Grown Seed is part 11 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Some Alabama gardeners like to save their own pea and bean seed to ensure a supply of that variety for the next year. It is best to set aside a short section of row sp…

Bitter Cucumbers is part 10 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Nearly every vegetable grown in the home garden has its quirks and problems. A problem that is sometimes associated with cucumbers and, on very rare occasions squash,…

Growing Tomatoes is part 9 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Tomatoes are the most popular crop for Alabama vegetable gardens, but getting the most out of the tomatoes you plant requires more planning and careful work than any o…

Weed Control in Home Gardens is part 8 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Good weed control may determine to a large extent the success of your home garden. Weeds compete with the crop for soil moisture, sunlight, space, and plant…

Fertilizing the Organic Garden is part 7 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Organic nutrient sources have two distinct advantages: (1) They provide a slow release nitrogen source to crops that won’t burn plants as easily or as s…

Garden Fertilizer is part 6 of The Alabama Master Gardener series.

You should soil test to ensure you apply the correct nutrients in the correct amounts for your garden.

Home Soil Testing: Taking a Sample

Home Soil Testing: Using …

Wood Ashes for Lime and Potash is part 5 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Most people associate wood ashes with the popular term for potassium fertilizers—potash. Vast areas of forests in the eastern United States were once b…

Excessive Phosphorus in Garden Soils is part 4 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Soil-test records from Auburn University show that more than 40 percent of Alabama garden soils have very high or excessive levels of phosphorus (P)…

Acid Soils Create Gardening Problems is part 3 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Acid soils (low pH) cause more gardening problems in Alabama than any other soil factor.

Soils become acid naturally in humid climates. Rainfall,…

A Well-Drained Soil is part 2 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

Most gardening publications emphasize that you should locate your garden on well-drained soil. What is well-drained soil? What can you do if you have a wet-natured s…

Planning for the Home Garden is part 1 of The Alabama Vegetable Gardener series.

A successful home garden comes with planning and constant attention! Select the site carefully, plant at the right time, use the right amount of fertilizer,…