Sunflowers planting in Alabama.
Sunflowers planting in Alabama is shaped by the state's 8a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around March 25, and a 225-day growing season. Sunflowers is grown in Alabama but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against Alabama Cooperative Extension System for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Spring planting
SunflowersHarvest window
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Sunflowers can be successfully grown in Alabama with attention to variety selection. The state's 225-day growing season requires choosing varieties appropriate for the growing window.
Sunflowers is grown in Alabama but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Agronomy reference
Growing-degree-day requirement: 2000 GDD (base 44°F) from planting to maturity.
Oil-type sunflowers grown for crushing; confection-type for human consumption. Both work as dove fields — confection for larger seeds.
Common pests to watch
- Sunflower head moth
- Banded sunflower moth
- Birds (during head fill)
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Common diseases
- Sclerotinia head rot
- Phomopsis
- Rust
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Sunflowers varieties for Alabama live with your extension service.
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year’s trial cycle. We don’t republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
Search the extension site for “sunflowersvariety trial” or “recommended sunflowers varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Beyond the harvest
Sunflowers as a hunting food plot.
Sunflower fields are the most concentrated dove hunting opportunity of the year. Stagger plantings every 2 weeks for extended hunting season.
Sunflowers timing. Live alerts.
Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.