Get garden-ready

It may not feel like it outside, but spring is right around the corner.

Why it matters: For us home gardeners, now's the time to plan, order seeds and get them started.

Zoom in: Seeds can be started indoors right now, and some crops like cabbage, cauliflower, onions, lettuce and cabbage, can already go in the ground.

• The key date here: March 31 is when the Old Farmers Almanac sets Huntsville's last frost date, calculated from 1991-2020 data.
• The general rule is to start seeds about six-eight weeks before moving outside, to give the plants time to grow strong enough to be transplanted.

By the numbers: Counting back eight weeks from March 31 comes to Feb. 3–this Tuesday.

• Check the Alabama Cooperative Extension's guide for a planting calendar breakdown for various crops.

How it works: Huntsville is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, though there are some microclimates in the area still classified 7b.

• That zone, based on historical temperature data, is handy when you're looking to see what varieties will do well here, or schedule out planting.

💭 Derek's thought bubble: I usually start seeds indoors around Valentine's Day and put them out when I think we're out of the reach of frost (I'm always wrong).

• Right now I'm looking at my nine raised beds and mapping out what's going where, which will ultimately dictate how many seeds of each variety I start.
• It's also a good time (maybe when it warms up a bit) to check your gear and make sure it's good to go when the time comes, or order soil and compost.