Ticks and tomatoes have some surprising things in common in Alabama.

To start with, you can almost plant your tomato planting based on when you see your first big outbreaks of ticks.

But as with tomato planting, our knowledge of tick season in Alabama is based on what someone in Minnesota or New England writes on the internet. So while you’re waiting for the TV network weather performer to tell us that warm weather, tomatoes and ticks have arrived in New York, our peak season for tomato planting has passed and a herd of ticks is already moving from our toes to our nose.