When Is Cotton Harvested in Alabama? Harvest Months by Region

Short answer: Alabama cotton is harvested from early September into December. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) lists the usual harvest window as September 5 to December 1, with the busiest stretch from September 20 to October 20. North Alabama and the Wiregrass in the southeast corner don't always move together: in 2026, much of the south Alabama crop was planted later, and Hurricane Isaias hit the south in October. By November 1, 2026, 62% of Alabama cotton had been picked, ahead of the 2021–2025 average of 56%.

Alabama cotton harvest dates at a glance

NASS's usual planting and harvesting dates for Alabama upland cotton:

Source: USDA NASS, Field Crops Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates (October 2010).

Alabama Cooperative Extension System's cotton production calendar lines up with that window. It lists starting harvest aids and picking in September, "Pick ASAP! Gin." for October and November, and finishing picking and ginning in December.

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How the 2026 Alabama harvest is running

NASS's weekly Crop Progress report tracks the share of the crop harvested:

Source: USDA NASS Crop Progress, October 13, October 26 and November 2, 2026.

Statewide, harvest has stayed a little ahead of average. That average hides a split between regions, covered below.

North Alabama vs. the Wiregrass

Alabama cotton grows in two main areas. NASS's 2023 county estimates, the latest county-level release, show both:

Source: USDA NASS, Alabama Cotton County Estimates (2022–2023). Bales are 480-lb equivalents.

North Alabama (the Tennessee Valley). NASS's Northern Valley district includes Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Madison counties. Those five counties produced 218,100 bales in 2023, about 30% of the state's 730,000-bale crop, with yields from 1,248 to 1,430 pounds per acre.

The Wiregrass (southeast Alabama). The Wiregrass district includes Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties. The published Wiregrass counties produced 205,900 bales in 2023, about 28% of the state crop, on more acres but at lower yields, from 687 to 943 pounds per acre. Houston County, around Dothan, planted more cotton than any other published county that year.

The two regions often run on different clocks. In a September 24, 2026 column, Auburn University and Alabama Extension cotton specialist Josh Lee wrote that "a good amount of acreage" had been planted later in south Alabama, while north Alabama caught many timely rains and had good boll set.

For state-level history, NASS's Crop Production 2025 Summary shows:

The 2025 yield of 1,011 pounds works out to about 2.1 bales per acre (1,011 ÷ 480).

Defoliation and harvest timing

Alabama Extension's harvest-aid guide uses three ways to time defoliation, and Lee recommends using at least two of them:

• Percent open boll. As a general rule, a crop that's 60% open is typically safe to defoliate, though variety and fruiting gaps can change that. Count open and closed bolls in 3 feet of row at ten spots in the field, rather than guessing from the truck.
• Nodes above cracked boll (NACB). When harvestable bolls are no more than four nodes above the uppermost first-position cracked boll, it's generally safe to defoliate.
• Sharp knife test. Slice the uppermost harvestable boll. If it's hard to cut, the seed coats are dark and the seed is past the "jelly" stage, it's safe to defoliate.

Most cotton is ready to pick about 10 to 14 days after harvest aids go on, according to the guide. Leaf drop usually begins at about 4 days and is complete at about 10. Alabama Extension advises basing the number of acres you defoliate on harvest capacity, to avoid weathering and fallout.

Weather matters too. Warm, sunny days during and after application work best. Most defoliants and boll openers don't work well below 60°F, and rain within 3 to 12 hours after application can cut the effectiveness of some products. The production calendar notes that harvest-aid rates increase as temperatures fall in October.

Picking, modules and hauling

Many Alabama fields are picked with harvesters that build round modules on board. Each round module holds about 4,500 to 5,500 pounds of seed cotton, according to USDA-ARS engineers, and makes about four bales of lint from picked cotton. See cotton module weight and how a modern cotton gin works.

Weather risk: hurricanes in south Alabama

South Alabama's main harvest risk is tropical weather. On October 9, 2026, Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, and entered Alabama in Covington County before moving north through the state, according to Lee. He reported that growers in south Alabama along the Florida line, near Jay, Florida, were hit hardest. Because much of the south Alabama crop was planted late, most of it still had green leaves when the storm passed, which Lee called "a good thing."

Alabama Extension began collecting photos and video of crop damage after the storm, and asked farmers to report losses to their county USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office as part of the disaster-designation process. On October 28, 2026, FSA announced that disaster assistance was available to Alabama producers affected by Isaias. FSA reminded growers with federal crop insurance to report damage to their agent within 72 hours of discovering it and to follow up in writing within 15 days.

When Alabama gins run

Alabama gins start up as the first modules arrive and keep running well past the end of picking, working through modules stored in the yard. The NASS Cotton Ginnings 2025 Summary shows how the 2025 crop moved through the state's gins:

NASS counted 23 active gins in Alabama for the 2025 crop. Lawrence County, with three gins, ginned 44,050 running bales. By October 15, 2026, Alabama gins had processed 40,550 running bales, compared with 74,100 at the same date in 2024. Learn to read those numbers in the USDA Cotton Ginnings report explained, and compare states in cotton ginning season by region.

To find a gin, start with these pages:

• Cotton gins in Lawrence County, AL, including Servico Gin in Courtland, Yeager Gin Company in Moulton and Hillsboro Gin
• North Alabama: Associated Growers Co-op in Athens
• The Wiregrass: 5 Lock Gin and Warehouse in Dothan and Henry County Gin in Headland
• Cotton gins in Alabama: full list

For neighboring states, see when cotton is harvested in Georgia and Mississippi, or the ultimate guide to cotton harvest timing by state.

Cotton markets, every trading day. Southeast cotton prices every trading day: The Cotton Wire. Subscribe to The Cotton Wire

FAQ

What month is cotton harvested in Alabama?

Mostly late September through October, with picking continuing into November and December. USDA NASS lists the usual harvest as September 5 to December 1, busiest from September 20 to October 20.

When is cotton planted in Alabama?

NASS lists the usual planting window as April 5 to June 6, with most planting between April 24 and May 24.

How far along is the 2026 Alabama cotton harvest?

NASS reported 62% harvested for the week ending November 1, 2026, ahead of the 2021–2025 average of 56%.

Which Alabama county grows the most cotton?

In 2023, Limestone County produced the most, 60,200 bales, according to NASS. Houston County in the Wiregrass had the most harvested acres of any published county.

How long after defoliation is cotton picked in Alabama?

About 10 to 14 days, according to Alabama Extension's harvest-aid guide.

What should I do after hurricane damage to cotton?

Document the damage with dated photos, contact your county Extension office, and report losses to your county FSA office. If you carry crop insurance, notify your agent within 72 hours of discovering damage.

Sources

1. USDA NASS. Field Crops Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates (Agricultural Handbook 628, October 2010): Alabama upland cotton planting and harvest dates. https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/vm40xr56k/dv13zw65p/w9505297d/planting-10-29-2010.pdf
2. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. "Cotton Production Calendar" (Steve Brown): September–December harvest tasks. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/cotton-production-calendar/
3. USDA NASS. Crop Progress (released October 13, 2026): cotton harvested, weeks ending October 4 and 11, 2026. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/prog4126.pdf
4. USDA NASS. Crop Progress (released October 26, 2026): cotton harvested, weeks ending October 18 and 25, 2026. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/prog4326.pdf
5. USDA NASS. Crop Progress (released November 2, 2026): cotton harvested, week ending November 1, 2026. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/prog4426.pdf
6. USDA NASS. Alabama Cotton County Estimates 2022–2023 (May 2024). https://www.nass.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Statistics_by_State/Alabama/Publications/County_Estimates/2023/ALCotton2023.pdf
7. Lee, J. "Specialists Speaking: Josh Lee, Alabama." Cotton Farming (September 24, 2026): later planting in south Alabama, defoliation timing methods. https://www.cottonfarming.com/current-issue/specialists-speaking-josh-lee-4/
8. USDA NASS. Crop Production 2025 Summary (January 2026): Alabama upland cotton acres, yield and production, 2023–2025. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/cropan26.pdf
9. Sandlin, T., and S. M. Brown. "Application of Cotton Defoliation Aids in Alabama." Alabama Cooperative Extension System: timing methods, weather, days to harvest. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/application-of-cotton-defoliation-aids-in-alabama/
10. Funk, P. A., and J. D. Wanjura. "Seed Cotton Unloading Systems." Journal of Cotton Science 21:51–59 (2017): round module weight. https://doi.org/10.56454/zjjg4144
11. Delhom, C. D., et al. "Evaluation of Practices to Unwrap Round Cotton Modules." Journal of Cotton Science 27:90–101 (2023): bales per round module. https://www.cotton.org/journal/2023-27/2/upload/JCS27-090.pdf
12. Lee, J. "Specialists Speaking: Josh Lee, Alabama." Cotton Farming (October 29, 2026; written October 12): Hurricane Isaias path and effects on Alabama cotton. https://www.cottonfarming.com/current-issue/specialists-speaking-josh-lee-5/
13. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. "Hurricane Isaias Agricultural Damage Survey" (October 12, 2026). https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/alabama-ready/hurricane-isaias-agricultural-damage-survey/
14. USDA Farm Service Agency. "USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers in Alabama Impacted by Hurricane Isaias" (October 28, 2026). https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-events/news/10-28-2026/usda-offers-disaster-assistance-agricultural-producers-alabama-impacted
15. USDA NASS. Cotton Ginnings 2025 Summary (May 2026): Alabama running bales by date, active gins, Lawrence County ginnings. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/ctgnan26.pdf
16. USDA NASS. Cotton Ginnings (released October 22, 2026): running bales ginned by state to October 15. https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/ctgn4326.pdf
17. Auburn University College of Agriculture. Faculty directory: Joshua Lee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Cotton Specialist. https://agriculture.auburn.edu/directory/profile.php?id=jml0167

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