Gaylesville, Alabama, sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Growers here do well with pecan, muscadine grape, okra, and collard greens — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.
Even in Gaylesville, no two yards are alike.
A low spot, a south-facing slope, or a stand of trees moves the frost date and sun across a single Gaylesville lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
8a-9a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Jan 29
Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 25 - Nov 20
Town Area
888 acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season (statewide frost window)
Zone maps are averages across Gaylesville. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Gaylesville
Plants matched to Gaylesville's USDA zones 8a-9a — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Alabama
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils in the Piedmont region
Open clay with compost over time — or start above it in a raised bed and let the ground catch up underneath.
High humidity promotes fungal diseases
Airflow is the free fungicide: space generously, water at the base in the morning, and pick resistant varieties from your extension's list.
Fire ants are a persistent garden pest
Season-long baiting beats mound-by-mound whack-a-mole — your extension office publishes the current program that works.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Alabama, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the authoritative local source.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Total Sites
82
within ~10 miles of Gaylesville
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
17 concentrated animal feeding operations
Sources Checked
within ~10 miles of Gaylesville
Severity Distribution
within ~10 miles of Gaylesville
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Gaylesville, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (17 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (51 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Gaylesville
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Gaylesville Average
- ●USDA Zones 8a-9a
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your specific parcel in Gaylesville
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Gaylesville, Alabama — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Gaylesville, Alabama
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a-9a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 29 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- Land Area: 888 acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Gaylesville, Alabama?
Gaylesville sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
When does frost risk typically end in Gaylesville?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Gaylesville typically lands around Jan 29, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
What vegetables grow in Gaylesville?
Gaylesville's zones 8a-9a support a wide range — strong performers include Pecan, Muscadine Grape, Okra, Collard Greens, and Fig. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Gaylesville, really?
Officially, Gaylesville sits in USDA zones 8a-9a (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Gaylesville?
The federal record around Gaylesville shows 82 documented sites — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.
How do I protect my plants from frost in Gaylesville?
As the season closes around Alabama's first fall frost near Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020)), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.
Everything on this page is a Gaylesville average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
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