Vegetable Gardening by Season in Florida

We have a very unique climate here in Florida. It is warm almost the entire year through and that affords us the ability to be able to plant almost anything we want. Florida is well known for our fruit and especially our citrus. But vegetables grow very well here too.

There are better times of year to plant certain vegetables than others. This is due to the variants in high and low temperatures, amount of daylight and precipitation. This article is a quick primer on which plants are best for each season.

If your soil appears flat or you have tried to grow on it before to no avail, you can get your soil tested. Your county extension office can assist in doing so.

Spring

Spring is right around the corner and now is the time to start preparing for planting. The vegetables one should plant in spring are cucumber, sweet corn, watermelon, tomato and beans. Because there is still a slight risk of freeze in February for northern Florida, it is recommended that people up there plant in March.

Summer

Several vegetables do well in summer. You can grow okra, cherry tomatoes, southern peas and sweet potatoes. Appropriately enough, some peppers don’t mind the heat of summer and you can grow them too. Some people take the summer off and use that time to “solarize” the soil, which basically means let the sun bake it and get rid of any molds or pests that may be present.

Fall

Fall time is still plenty hot but the sun is a little less direct and the days are shorter with cooler nights. This is a good season to plant broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, radishes and lettuce.. in other words.. salad veggies.

Check your soil ph often and water during dry spells. Other than that let mother nature do her magic and enjoy the treats as they grow out of the ground.