The Florida Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage look at when Florida apple trees break dormancy, bloom and fruit, keyed to Jacksonville’s NOAA frost dates and low-chill cultivars.
Gardening in Florida
Everything we have worked out for Florida: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Jacksonville, the last spring freeze runs February 16 to March 7 and the first fall freeze runs November 26 to December 13, USDA zones 8b-11b, 7,000 growing degree days in the year.
Heat, not frost, is what shortens the season here: above 86 °F tomato pollen goes sterile, so growers run a spring crop and an autumn one rather than a single long season. Garlic is the awkward one: only 0 weeks below 40 °F, where it needs six to split into cloves. Chill the cloves before planting, or grow a softneck type.
Elsewhere on the property in Florida: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
The Best Apple Varieties for Florida
Explains why Florida’s mild winters limit apple chill hours, which regions have the best odds, and where to check for verified low-chill options.
Firewood in Florida: Which Woods Your Winter Actually Needs
If you’re wondering whether you actually need a cord of oak this winter or just a bundle from the gas station, the answer starts with one number: 42.9°F.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Florida
In Jacksonville, the mean first fall frost lands somewhere around November 26 to December 13.
Florida Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
North Florida’s frost window runs into early March while the rest of the state gardens all winter, and this calendar covers both patterns.
Growing Onions in Florida: Which Varieties Actually Bulb
Jacksonville sits at 30.48 degrees north, and on the longest day of the year it gets 13 hours and 58 minutes of daylight.
Growing Apples in Florida: Varieties, Timing and Frost Risk
North Florida can grow apples with low-chill varieties such as Anna and Dorsett Golden, unlike the rest of the frost-free state.
Heating a Home in Florida: What the Winter Actually Costs
Florida doesn’t really have a heating season in the way Minnesota or Vermont does.
Fall armyworm in Florida: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Fall armyworm shows up in Florida whenever the weather turns hot and vegetable beds or turf grass are actively growing, which in this state means a long…
Melonworm in Florida: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Melonworm caterpillars hit Florida cucurbit patches whenever the weather turns hot and stays that way, chewing lace-holed leaves on cucumbers, squash…