What Eats Parsnip in Florida, and When
UF/IFAS Extension documents eleven pests capable of feeding on Florida vegetable crops, but only six of them have any business on a parsnip: aphids…
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.
What Eats Carrot in Florida, and When
UF/IFAS Extension documents eleven garden pests for this territory, but only five of them ever put a mark on a carrot: aphids, eastern lubber…
What Eats Beet in Florida, and When
UF/IFAS Extension documents five organisms feeding on beet in Florida gardens: aphids, whiteflies, fall armyworm, the eastern lubber grasshopper, and…
What Eats Asparagus in Florida, and When
UF/IFAS Extension documents eleven landscape and garden pests statewide, but only a handful of them have any real business on an asparagus bed: aphids…
First and Last Frost Dates in Florida
Florida doesn’t have one frost date. It has one published frost window, measured at a single Jacksonville station, and a huge stretch of the state where…
When to Pick Tomatoes in Florida, and Ripening the Rest
The right time to pick a Florida tomato depends less on the calendar and more on which Florida you’re gardening in.
When to Harvest Garlic in Florida, and How to Cure It
Garlic in north Florida comes out of the ground when the lower leaves turn yellow and brown, usually leaving four or five green leaves standing above…
When to Pick Apples in Florida, and How Long They Keep
North of Jacksonville, apples come off the tree in summer after a spring bloom squeezed between frost dates.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Florida Cool?
Yes, insulation blunts summer heat gain in Florida homes, and here the math leans harder on cooling than almost anywhere else in the country.
Does a Wall in Florida Need a Vapor Barrier?
No. Under the 2021 International Residential Code, Section R702.7, a wall in Florida is not required to carry an interior vapor retarder, because the…