I’ve been browsing my new Florida Gardening book and finally came upon a page that really tells me all I need to know for now. It is entitled “Cool Season Vegetables” with planting times – specifically for north, south or central Florida regions.
I will live on the edge of zone 9a and 9b of the cold hardiness zone map. What that means is that my area often gets frosts and sometimes freezes during December, January and February. Temperatures can get down into the 20’s. When that happens I will have to protect my crops. I can remember covering my outdoor shrubs and plants that were sensitive to cold when I lived in Florida before. I saved up old sheets and blankets and would cover them over night. Usually temperatures climb nicely during the day, but overnight it can be downright cold!
Anyway, the cool season vegetable planting list contains a lot of vegetables I love to grow.
Growing vegetables in Florida is new to me. I’m used to having everything pulled up from my gardens by the beginning of October, with the exception of some herbs, parsley and kale. It’s not a time for beginning to plant anything in New England. The fall season in the northeast is a time to enjoy the foliage and try not to think about what is coming.
I am delighted to find that many of my favorite veggies can be grown in the upcoming months. On the planting list for October onward, I see that I can plant carrots, celery, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas and potatoes, to name a few. A couple of surprises on the list include strawberries and rhubarb! The rhubarb can be planted at any time of year, but I didn’t even know I would be able to grow it in the south! And I always thought strawberries were summer fruit.
Also most herbs can be planted this time of year. Of course I searched for parsley first thing and was astounded when it wasn’t listed in the “herb” section. After freaking out a bit, I found it listed under cool-season vegetables. I always thought parsley was a herb, so I researched it and found that it is considered a herb, a spice and a vegetable. Wow, I didn’t know that.
When I first moved down to Florida in June, I went out and bought two green pepper plants. They grew one funny-looking pepper and then began to die. I still have one of the plants and it’s beginning to grow new peppers. (See it in the black pot in my photo.) I am hoping it may still produce a pepper or two for me.
Now that I see the lists of all these vegetables, I am wishing I had a bigger yard. I haven’t moved into my new home yet, but the lot is normal size. I’ll have to figure out how to best utilize the space for my gardens. (Update: I plant in a raised bed.) This gardening research will give me a good idea of what to do once the garden beds are ready.
Maybe I will continue to do some container gardening in the meantime.
Thank you for sharing!
Hydrangeas Blue 