Cool Season Crops

The Central Florida cool crop planting season is from early September until February or March for most crops. A general time frame that is easy for me to remember is from around Labor Day through the Spring Equinox. Keep in mind that this is a general time frame that can vary from year to year, and may be slightly varied in different climate zones (central Florida encompasses 3 climate zones - 8B, 9A, 9B). You can use this interactive map to help determine your plant hardiness zone. This map zooms in all the way to where you can see street names. If we are having an especially hot August and September, then it would be best to wait until the weather cools down a bit before planting cool crop seeds or transplants. In my region (near Tampa, FL), I have found that between mid/late September and early October, is usually the best time for me to start planting outdoors, but I start my seeds indoors in late August and early September. It is possible to extend the cool season a little longer if you cover your cool season crops with some type of shade - such as 30% - 40% shade cloth, or plant under trees that provide partial shade during the hottest part of the day. I typically situate my  shade cloth so that it shield's cool season crops from midday sun (about 11:00AM - 3:00PM), whenever daytime temperatures are regularly in the mid 80's and higher. 

I have noticed that some cool season crops can tolerate more heat than others. For example, collards and kale seem to do better in the heat than lettuce and other leafy salad greens. I have been able to direct seed collards in mid-September, but when I tried to direct seed lettuce in mid-September, the seeds did not germinate. Also, my lettuce turns bitter and rubbery, and bolts (goes to seed) by late March or early April, but surprisingly, my kale and collards have managed to survive well into the summer (though not as healthy and productive as in the spring). 

The chart below was adapted from the University of Florida IFAS Extension Gardening Guide, which is a great resource for vegetable gardening. The time ranges shown in the chart are all approximations, which can vary slightly from region to region, and from year to year.  I added information about starting your seeds indoors, and I used the typical times that are commonly recommended. However, if you keep your house as warm as I do (around 70 - 80 degrees), then you can take a week off of the time from planting seeds to transplanting outdoors. Seeds will germinate and grow much faster if the temperature indoors is above 70 degrees, which means they will be ready to transplant sooner. Note: The Days to Harvest is the number of days from when seeds are planted until they are ready to be harvested. The days listed in parentheses are the number of days from transplants to first harvest.

Cool Season Vegetables For Your Central Florida Garden

Aster (Asteraceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Endive/ Escarole	Aug–Feb	Start indoors 3 - 4 weeks before transplanting. Earliest to start seeds indoors is early August. Latest time to start seeds indoors is late January.	60–80	x
Lettuce	Sept – Feb	Start indoors 3 - 4 weeks before transplanting. Earliest time to start seeds indoor is late August. Latest time to start seeds indoors is late January.	60–80	x

Bean (Fabaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Peas (Snow or English)	Nov–Feb		60–80			x

Beet (Chenopodiaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Beets	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	50–70	x
Spinach	Sept–Mar	Best to direct seed when temperature is cooler, but can start indoors 3 - 5 weeks before transplanting	45–60		x
Swiss Chard	Sept–May	Start seeds indoors 2 - 4 weeks before transplanting	45–60	x

Cabbage (Brassicaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Arugula	Sept–Mar	Start seeds indoors 2 - 3 weeks before transplanting	35–60	x
Broccoli	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	75–90 (50–70)	x
Brussels Sprouts	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	90–120 (70–90)	x
Cabbage	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	85–110 (70–90)	x
Cauliflower	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	75–90 (50–70)	x
Chinese Cabbage	Sept–Apr	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	70–90 (60–70)	x
Collards	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	70–90 (50–70)	x
Kale	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	50–70	x
Kohlrabi	Oct–Mar	Start seeds indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting	70–80 (50–55)	x
Mustard	Sept–Feb	Start seeds indoors 2 - 4 weeks before transplanting	40–50		x
Radish	Sept–Mar		20–30			x
Turnips	Sept–Feb		40–60			x

Carrot (Apiaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Carrots	Aug–Mar	It is better to direct seed, but carrot seeds can be started indoors 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting. Germination can take between 1 - 3 weeks. Plant new seeds every 2-4 weeks for a continuous supply.	70–120		x
Celery	Sept–Mar	Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting	75–90		x

Lily (Liliaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Onions, Bulbing	Oct		100–130			x
Onions, Bunching (Green and Shallots)	Aug–Mar		50–75 (green) 75–100 (shallots)			x

Rose (Rosaceae) Family
Crop	Outdoor Planting Dates (central)	Indoor Seed Planting	Days to Harvest	Transplants Easily	Transplant Carefully	Direct Seed
Strawberry	Sept 25– Oct 25	It is easier to buy transplants than to start from seed. Seeds can take between 3 -6 weeks (and possibly up to 8 weeks) to germinate and often require cold treatment in your freezer for 2 weeks, followed by being at a temperature between 40 - 60 degrees Farenheit, to bring them out of dormancy.	(30–60)	x

My Winter Vegetable Garden

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