Will Spinach Bolt Early in Florida?
Spinach will bolt early almost everywhere in north Florida, and the reason is a one-two punch: the days get long enough to trigger flowering right around…
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.
Will Florida Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Florida’s official state soil won’t tell you what’s under your own lawn, but it does explain the risk built into a fifteen-year commitment.
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in Florida
North Florida’s last frost lifts in the roughly three-week span around late February and early March, and that window is what sets the asparagus crown…
Growing Sweet Corn in Florida: Will It Ripen?
Yes, sweet corn can ripen here, but the calendar that decides it isn’t the frost date most gardeners circle on their planner.
Growing Asparagus in Florida: Fifteen Years in One Spot
Asparagus asks for one thing above all else: a bed that drains, because once those crowns go in the ground they’re staying put for a decade or more.
When to Sow Pumpkins in Florida
In north Florida, sowing pumpkins comes down to one narrow window: the first fall frost lands somewhere between November 26 and December 13, and a…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in Florida?
In north Florida, the honest answer is that it depends on when the flower opened, not when the seed went in the ground.
When to Sow Parsnips in Florida
North Florida gardeners get the best shot at a genuinely sweet parsnip by sowing in late summer, roughly the first week of August through the first week…
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Florida?
Parsnips will grow just fine around Jacksonville and much of north Florida, but sweetening is a separate matter entirely.
Growing Spinach in Florida: When Will It Bolt?
North Florida gets 13 hours and 58 minutes of daylight on the longest day of the year, and that number alone is enough to push spinach into flower.