Zone 9A/9B Gardening Calendar - North East Florida Planting Schedule (2024)

FAQs

When should I plant my garden in North Florida? ›

For spring gardens in North and Central Florida, the planting time for most frost tender plants is in March. If you plant earlier, be prepared to cover your tender vegetables to protect them from late frosts. Frost hardy vegetables may be planted much earlier.

Planting when the soil is below 85º F is perfect to encourage growth. Some of the most experienced vegetable gardeners in Florida track the soil's condition, waiting until the ideal temperature before planting. This usually means waiting until mid-October to plant their gardens.

Sun-loving perennials include roses, peonies, irises, daylilies, hibiscus, coneflowers and asters. These varieties perform best when receiving about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Without it, zone 9 perennials grow poorly, and their blooms, if any emerge, are drab and lifeless.

Vegetable gardening for Zone 9 is nearly year round, so while other zones are still itching to get started, the gardeners in this zone can get right to work! Be sure to stay on top of your garden chores as well so tasks don't get out of control. Make plans for the coming season's garden.

Florida has four USDA Zones, 8a to 11b, broken down as follows: Zones 8a and 8b (10 to 20 °F) include much of the Panhandle, including Destin, Tallahassee, and parts of Panama City. Zones 9a and 9b (20 to 30 °F) include the coastal Panhandle cities of Pensacola and the rest of Panama City.

May is an ideal time for planting tropical and subtropical fruits like mangoes, avocados, and guavas. Vegetables like southern peas and sweet corn can also be planted now. Sun-loving perennials like daylilies and hibiscus are great options for your Florida garden.

Truth be told, carrots, potatoes, beets, and turnips can't take Florida's summer heat. Up north they may be staples in the June veggie patch, but here they're winter crops. For some summer alternatives, consider sweet potato, boniato, and cassava. Boniato is a relative of sweet potato and very popular in South Florida.

Sunflowers: Sunflowers are not only beautiful but also grow rapidly in Florida's warm climate. They are easy to grow from seeds and can reach impressive heights within a few months. Morning Glories: Morning glories are fast-growing vines that produce delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers in various colors.

Zone 9a falls within 20 to 25 °F (-6.7 to -3.9 °C) and Zone 9b falls within 25 to 30 °F (-3.9 to -1.1 °C).

Can hydrangeas grow in zone 9b? ›

The Short Answer. Yes, hydrangeas can be grown in hardiness zone 9. There are several varieties that will grow hardy to zone 9 climates. You can find cultivars that will grow from each of the most popular hydrangea species, including macrophylla, paniculata, quercifolia, and serrata.

Crisphead or iceberg lettuces are mild in taste and have a great crunch! Here in Zones 9 and 10, you can grow crisphead or iceberg lettuces well into the warmer months since they can handle more heat than delicate lettuce varieties.

Zone 9 Tomato Plants

Of the medium varieties, a favorite is Early Girl, a disease resistant, high yielding plant with sweet flavored, meaty fruit. Stupice is another favored for its cold tolerance as well as disease resistance with smaller fruit with a sweet/acidic taste.

The USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11 comprise the hottest and most tropical regions of the United States, including Hawaii. Zone 9 includes central Florida, southern Louisiana and Texas and stretches up the west coast in a narrow band on the western coast of California.

Gardens may be planted year round in Florida, but fall is the preferred season in South Florida. Garden placement is very important. Use the following key points to place your vegetable garden to increase your gardening success. If your soil pH is between 5.5 and 7.0, no adjustment in pH needs to be made.

In North Florida, plants are started in February, after the last frost, so they will produce the most tomatoes before summer heat sets in. In Central Florida, tomatoes can generally be planted in early February for early summer tomatoes and again in September for picking tomatoes in fall and winter.

April is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost. It's still not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds as well. Be sure to check your gardening zone for last frost dates.