Garlic Varieties That Suit Florida Winters
North Florida’s mild winters favor softneck garlic over hardneck, and NOAA’s fall frost data pins the planting window to November.
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.
When to Plant Garlic in Florida: Counting Back From the First Frost
NOAA’s Jacksonville climate normals set the fall freeze window that determines when north Florida gardeners should plant garlic cloves each November.
Growing Garlic in Florida: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
North Florida’s mild winters fall short of garlic’s chilling needs, so growers lean on softneck varieties and pre-chilled cloves for a reliable harvest.
Tomato Pests in Florida: Which Ones Actually Show Up Here
A season-by-season rundown of the insects and nematodes that actually attack tomatoes in Florida gardens, with identification tips and what to do about each one.
Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in Florida
Twelve tomato cultivars matched against north Florida’s frost window, from 55-day cherry tomatoes to an 85-day paste tomato, with the transplant math shown for each.
Tomato Planting Dates in Florida: Counting Back From Your Frost Window
Jacksonville’s NOAA frost window anchors Florida tomato planting dates. This explains how to count forward for spring and backward for fall using days to maturity.
Growing Tomatoes in Florida: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Jacksonville’s NOAA frost data sets the north Florida planting window, while central and south Florida grow tomatoes through winter instead of summer months.