Florida Growing Guides

Step-by-step guides written for Florida's real seasons, not flipped from a national template. When to plant in your region, the varieties that handle the heat and humidity, and how to stay ahead of Florida's pests. Based on UF/IFAS guidance.

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Florida's Growing Seasons
Why fall is the main season and summer is the break

Vegetables & fruit

How to Grow Tomatoes
Heat-set varieties, the cool-season window, nematodes

How to Grow Peppers
Bell and chili, seed timing, warm soil

How to Grow Okra
The crop that loves a Florida summer

How to Grow Strawberries
Fall planting, the right varieties, netting

How to Grow Lettuce
The cool-season window and bolt-resistant types

How to Grow Beans
Fast spring and fall bush and pole beans

How to Grow Cucumbers
Trellising, disease-resistant types, pickleworm

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
A top Florida summer crop, from slip to cure

How to Grow Blueberries
Low-chill Florida varieties and acidic soil

How to Grow Squash & Zucchini
Fast crops, and beating the vine borer

How to Grow Melons
Watermelon & cantaloupe for a Florida summer

How to Grow Carrots
Sweet roots in sandy soil, cool season

How to Grow Onions
Short-day types and the cool-season window

How to Grow Broccoli
Cool-season heads, and beating the heat

How to Grow Kale
Heat-tolerant greens for a long harvest

How to Grow Garlic
Softneck types and fall planting in the South

Herbs

How to Grow Basil
Heat-loving and fast, all summer long

How to Grow Cilantro
A cool-season herb that bolts in the heat

Techniques

Build a Raised Garden Bed
Beat sandy soil and nematodes with a raised bed

Composting for Beginners
Turn scraps into free soil, step by step

Composting in Florida
Fast compost in the heat; the fix for sandy soil

Companion Planting
What to plant together, and what to keep apart

Pest Management
Stop Florida's pests the gentle way first

Guides are added regularly. Want one next? Pick your region to see everything you can plant this month.

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