Fall Gardening in Florida: What to Plant and When

Most of the country is packing up the garden right now. Down here, we are just getting started. Fall is Florida's real growing season, and it is the best kept secret in Southern gardening. The heat backs off. The bugs slow down. And the crops that struggled all summer grow like they are showing off from September clear through February.

If you have only ever tried a spring garden in Florida, this is the post that changes your mind. Below is what to plant, when to plant it, and how to get the beds ready so your fall table is full.

Why fall beats spring in Florida

For years on our YouTube channel we have watched the same story repeat. Somebody gets excited in spring, plants a garden in March, and by June the Florida heat and bugs have beaten the joy out of them. They decide they have a black thumb. They never find out that they simply planted in the wrong season.

Fall fixes that. In spring you are racing weather that gets worse every week. In fall you are planting into weather that gets better every week. Cooler nights, lower pest pressure, and a long slow stretch of good growing on the front end instead of a heat wall on the back end.

That is the whole trick. It was the calendar, not you.

Timing, by where you live

Fall in the South runs on timing, and timing is where most people get lost. Florida is long enough that one date does not fit the state, so start with your region.

• North Florida and the Gulf South. Your fall window opens first and closes first. Get cool season crops in the ground from late August into October so they size up before your first frost. You will get freezes here most winters, so keep frost cloth on hand.
• Central Florida. This is the long middle. September through November is the main planting stretch, and many crops keep producing into February. Frost happens, but it is usually short.
• South Florida. Your fall planting runs later, roughly October through January, because it stays too warm before that. Cool season crops that bolt everywhere else do fine here in the middle of winter.

Check your planting windows against University of Florida IFAS Extension guidance for your county. Your local extension office publishes the dates for your exact area, and those dates beat anything a national seed packet tells you.

What to plant in a Florida fall garden

Fall is when the cool season crops finally get their turn. These are the ones that sulk in Florida summer and thrive once the nights cool off.

• Greens. Collards, kale, mustards, Swiss chard, and lettuce. Collards and kale are the workhorses down here and will feed you for months if you pick the outer leaves and leave the center growing.
• Brassicas. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. Start these from transplants if you are new, since the seedling stage is the fussiest part.
• Root crops. Carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips. Radishes are the fastest win in the whole garden and are a good confidence builder for a first fall.
• Onions and garlic. Choose short day onion types for the South. Day length is what tells an onion to bulb, and long day types will not do it here.
• Peas and beans. Bush beans and southern peas fit the early part of the window while it is still warm.
• Strawberries. Set transplants in the fall for a winter and spring harvest. This is one of the real advantages of gardening in Florida.
• Herbs. Cilantro, parsley, and dill actually work here in the cool months, which is the opposite of how it goes up north.

You can still put in warm season crops at the front of the window, especially in Central and South Florida. Peppers, tomatoes, and squash set fruit better in fall than they do in the back half of a Florida spring.

Getting your beds ready

Florida soil is mostly sand. It drains fast and holds very little, so the work you do before planting matters more than anything you do after.

• Add organic matter. Compost is the whole game in sand. Work it in before you plant, not after.
• Mulch every bed. Two to three inches. It holds moisture, keeps the soil cooler while it is still hot out, and cuts your weeding down to almost nothing.
• Fix drainage before you plant. Walk the yard after a hard rain and mark anything that holds water for more than an hour. Raise those beds or move the planting.
• Count your sun. Most fall vegetables want six hours or more. Containers on a sunny driveway will outgrow beds in the shade every time.

Watering and pests in the fall

Our rainy season tapers off as fall goes on, so you go from too much water to not enough fairly quickly. Check the soil with your finger before you water instead of watering on a schedule. Water the soil, not the leaves, and water in the morning.

Pest pressure drops once the heat breaks, but it does not go to zero. Caterpillars on brassicas are the main fall headache in Florida. Check the undersides of leaves once a week and handle problems while they are small.

Fall planting and storm season overlap

Down here, fall planting and hurricane season sit on top of each other, and pretending otherwise is not a plan. Get your storm kit and your move list sorted on a calm day in August. Know which containers come inside, know where the young trees get staked, and do not put a tender new planting in the most exposed corner of the yard in September.

Growing food for the holiday table

This is my favorite part of a Southern fall. A lot of cool season crops can be planted, grown, and picked before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's. Radishes, lettuce, and greens are quick enough for a Thanksgiving table if you plant in time. Collards and cabbage are right on schedule for the end of the year. Food you grew yourself on the holiday table hits different.

Seasonal challenges in the Plan

We run guided seasonal challenges, including a fall one, inside The Southern Garden Plan. They are included with The Grower's Year membership. They are not sold on their own and there is nothing separate to buy. Members open Seasonal Challenges in the Plan sidebar.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start a fall garden in Florida?

It depends on your region. North Florida and the Gulf South start late August into October. Central Florida runs September through November. South Florida runs later, roughly October through January. Check your exact dates with your county UF/IFAS Extension office.

Do I need any gardening experience to start in fall?

No. Fall is the easiest season to start in Florida because the weather is working with you instead of against you. Start with picking your spot and counting your sun hours, then plant a few reliable crops like radishes, collards, and lettuce.

What zones does Florida fall gardening cover?

USDA zones 8a through 11b, which covers the wider Gulf South, North Florida, Central Florida, and South Florida. A grower in Pensacola and a grower in Miami work off very different dates and different crops, so always plant to your own zone.

Can I grow a fall garden on a patio or balcony?

Yes. Greens, lettuce, radishes, herbs, and bush beans all do well in pots. Containers in full sun beat in ground beds in the shade every time. Just know that pots dry out faster, so check them more often.

What happens if a hurricane comes?

Prep on a calm day, not on the day of. Know what comes inside, stake what needs staking, and hold off on setting out tender transplants when a storm is in the forecast. Storm season is part of Southern gardening, so make it part of the plan.

What is the easiest crop for a first Florida fall garden?

Radishes for speed and collards for staying power. Radishes go from seed to harvest fast enough to keep you interested, and collards will feed you for months off one planting.

One good season can change everything

One fall, started the right way, can change your garden, your health, and the way you see growing food. We use this same rhythm in our own backyard every year. Plant into the good weather instead of fighting the bad, and Florida will feed you all the way through winter.

Want more Florida fall planting help? Start with 7 crops you will regret not planting in Florida this summer, or read why growing your own lettuce beats waiting on the next recall.

Grow Food NOT Lawns.