Florida Year-Round Vegetable Garden Planting Guide

title: "Florida Year-Round Vegetable Garden: Planting Guide by Season"

—- title: "Florida Year-Round Vegetable Garden: Planting Guide by Season" slug: florida-vegetable-garden hub: care category: Regional description: "How to grow vegetables year-round in Florida across zones 8–10. Seasonal planting calendars, crop lists, and UF IFAS Extension guidance for North, Central, and South Florida." date: 2026-06-10 updated: 2026-06-10 author: "Thomas A." reading_time: 11 —-

Florida is one of the few states in the continental US where vegetable gardening continues every month of the year. Per University of Florida IFAS Extension, Florida's three growing regions — North, Central, and South — have distinct planting windows that together allow nearly continuous production if a gardener understands which crops to plant in which season.

The constraint is not a lack of growing days. Florida has plenty. The constraint is heat. Per UF IFAS, most vegetables cannot set fruit when temperatures consistently exceed 92°F, making Florida's summers largely unsuitable for warm-season fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers — despite the heat that most associate with fruit setting. Summer is the time for heat-tolerant crops and soil preparation for fall.

Table of Contents

1. Florida Growing Regions and Zones
2. Why Summer Is Different in Florida
3. North Florida Planting Calendar
4. Central Florida Planting Calendar
5. South Florida Planting Calendar
6. Best Vegetables for Florida
7. Plant Selection Table
8. Soil Preparation in Florida
9. Common Problems
10. Frequently Asked

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Florida Growing Regions and Zones {#growing-regions}

Per UF IFAS Cooperative Extension:

• North Florida: Zones 8a–9a. Covers Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville. Experiences genuine winter freezes and a summer hot season similar to the Gulf South.
• Central Florida: Zones 9a–9b. Covers Orlando, Tampa, Daytona Beach. Brief winter cool period; summer temperatures peak at 95°F+ with 90%+ humidity.
• South Florida: Zones 10a–11. Covers Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Key West. Near-frost-free year-round; summer is the off-season due to heat and hurricane-season rainfall.

Per UF IFAS, the key variable determining Florida planting success is not minimum temperature (as in northern zones) but average daytime high during the growing period. Tomatoes require daytime temperatures below 92°F for pollen viability. Per UF IFAS publication HS944, pollen is killed or rendered non-viable when temperatures exceed 92°F for extended periods, explaining why summer tomato crops fail in Florida even with irrigation.

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Why Summer Is Different in Florida {#summer-heat}

Per UF IFAS, summer in Florida (June through August) creates three specific problems for vegetable production:

1. Heat-induced blossom drop: Most fruiting vegetables drop flowers when daytime temperatures consistently exceed 90–92°F per UF IFAS. Peppers, tomatoes, and beans all exhibit this response.

1. Disease pressure spike: Florida's summer combination of 95°F heat and near-daily rainfall creates optimal conditions for Phytophthora root rots, bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), and sooty mold. Per UF IFAS Plant Pathology, disease pressure is highest June–September.

1. Insect pest surge: Per UF IFAS Entomology, whitefly populations — which vector tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) — peak in summer. Any susceptible crop planted in summer will likely be infected.

What grows in Florida summer: sweet potatoes, okra, Southern peas (cowpeas), Malabar spinach (Basella alba), and heat-tolerant herbs (basil, lemongrass). These crops tolerate or prefer 90°F+ conditions.

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North Florida Planting Calendar {#north-florida}

Per UF IFAS Extension's North Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide:

Fall Planting (September–November): September: transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant for fall harvest. Direct-sow beans and squash. Plant broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower transplants in October. Kale, collards, mustard greens: direct-sow from September.

Winter Planting (December–February): Brassicas continue through January. Root vegetables (carrots, radishes, beets) direct-sow October–January. Garlic plant in October–November. Spinach and lettuce: direct-sow through January.

Spring Planting (February–April): Tomatoes and peppers: transplant late February–March. Squash, cucumbers, beans: direct-sow February–March. Harvest window before summer heat: April–June.

Summer (June–August): Sweet potatoes: plant slips in May for fall harvest. Okra: direct-sow May–July. Southern peas: plant May–August.

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Central Florida Planting Calendar {#central-florida}

Per UF IFAS Cooperative Extension's Central Florida Vegetable Gardening Calendar:

Fall (September–November): Start tomato and pepper transplants in late August for fall planting in mid-September. Beans, squash, and cucumbers: direct-sow September–October. Brassica transplants: October–November.

Winter (December–February): Root crops, leafy greens, and herbs (cilantro, parsley) continue through winter. Sweet corn can be planted January–February. Strawberries planted October–November produce through spring.

Spring (February–May): Spring tomato crop begins in February. This is the most productive tomato window for Central Florida. Harvest through May–June before summer heat.

Summer (June–August): Okra, sweet potatoes, Malabar spinach, and Southern peas are the primary options. Per UF IFAS, soil solarization (covering bare soil with clear plastic for 6–8 weeks) during summer reduces nematode and soilborne pathogen loads for fall planting.

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South Florida Planting Calendar {#south-florida}

Per UF IFAS Miami-Dade County Extension:

"Winter" (October–April): South Florida's primary growing season. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, cucumbers, squash, and all cool-season crops can be grown October through April. Per UF IFAS, South Florida gardeners have a 6-month window for the widest variety of crops, followed by a 6-month hot season.

Summer (May–September): Callaloo (Amaranthus), Malabar spinach, okra, sweet potatoes, and tropical vegetables (bitter melon, yard-long beans, chayote) perform in South Florida summer heat. Per UF IFAS Miami-Dade Extension, tropical vegetables native to Southeast Asia and the Caribbean are the best choices for South Florida summers.

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Best Vegetables for Florida {#best-vegetables}

Per UF IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, the following perform across multiple Florida regions:

Tomatoes: Spring and fall crops only in North and Central; October–April in South. Per UF IFAS, heat-tolerant varieties such as 'Solar Fire', 'Heatmaster', and 'Florida 91' perform better in Florida's warm-season shoulder periods than northern varieties.

Sweet Potatoes: One of Florida's most reliable vegetables. Per UF IFAS, sweet potatoes can be planted any time from March through July and harvest in 90–120 days. They thrive in Florida's sandy soils.

Okra: Heat-tolerant and productive through Florida summer. Per UF IFAS, 'Clemson Spineless' and 'Cajun Delight' are recommended for Florida production. Direct-sow when soil temperatures exceed 65°F.

Southern Peas (Cowpeas): Per UF IFAS, black-eyed peas, cream peas, and other Vigna unguiculata varieties are ideal summer crops in North and Central Florida, fixing nitrogen while producing edible pods in 55–85 days.

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Plant Selection Table {#plant-table}

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Soil Preparation in Florida {#soil}

Per UF IFAS Soil Science Department, most Florida soils are low-organic-matter sandy soils that drain rapidly and hold nutrients poorly. Entisols and Spodosols (Flatwoods soils) dominate the central and northern peninsula.

Organic matter addition: Per UF IFAS, incorporate 3–4 inches of well-composted material before each planting season. Florida sandy soils lose organic matter rapidly in the heat; annual replenishment is required.

pH management: Per UF IFAS, target pH 6.0–6.5 for most vegetables. Florida soils often trend acidic (pH 5.0–5.8). Lime at rates per soil test — typically 3–5 lbs per 100 square feet of ground dolomitic limestone.

Nematodes: Per UF IFAS Nematology Lab, root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are a major production constraint in Florida sandy soils. Soil solarization for 6–8 weeks in summer, or planting resistant varieties, are the primary management tools.

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Common Problems {#common-problems}

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Frequently Asked {#frequently-asked}

What tomato varieties perform best in Florida?

Per UF IFAS, heat-tolerant tomato varieties with the best Florida performance include 'Solar Fire', 'Heatmaster', 'Florida 91', 'BHN-602', and 'Tasti-Lee'. These varieties maintain pollen viability at temperatures 5–8°F higher than standard commercial varieties. All should still be planted within the fall (September–October) or spring (February–March) windows, not in summer.

Can I grow year-round greens in Florida?

Yes, with different crops for each season. Per UF IFAS, cool-season greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula, chard) grow October through March. Heat-tolerant greens (collards, sweet potato leaves, Malabar spinach, amaranth / callaloo) grow May through September. There is essentially no gap in green-leaf production in Florida with the right variety rotation.

How do I deal with root-knot nematodes in Florida?

Per UF IFAS Nematology, the most practical options for home gardeners are: summer soil solarization (clear plastic over moist soil for 6–8 weeks in the hottest months), growing in raised beds with clean fill material, and using nematode-resistant varieties where available. Marigolds (Tagetes patula) planted as a cover crop reduce some nematode species per UF IFAS trial data, though results are inconsistent.

Is drip irrigation necessary for Florida vegetable gardening?

Not required, but per UF IFAS, drip irrigation significantly outperforms overhead irrigation in Florida for several reasons: it delivers water directly to the root zone without wetting foliage (reducing fungal disease risk), it is more efficient in sandy soils that drain rapidly, and it avoids wetting foliage during humid summer months when Botrytis and bacterial diseases are prevalent.

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Recommended gear: Sweet corn varieties for the home garden — our buyer's guide covering picks for every budget, ranked by Extension publication consensus and personal use.

Sources

1. University of Florida IFAS Extension &mdash; <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021">Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide</a>.
2. University of Florida IFAS Extension &mdash; <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS944">Tomato Production in Florida</a>.
3. University of Florida IFAS Nematology &mdash; <a href="https://nematology.ifas.ufl.edu/">UF IFAS Nematology</a>.
4. University of Florida IFAS Miami-Dade Extension &mdash; <a href="https://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/">Miami-Dade County Extension</a>.
5. University of Florida IFAS Soils &mdash; <a href="https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/">Soil Science at UF IFAS</a>.