If you’ve been paying attention to the weather forecast, it’s likely that the last thing on your mind is what to plant in July in Florida. The heat indexes have easily been in the triple digits, and the rainfall reports are way down.
The good news is that if you’re just as addicted to gardening as I am, there are a few things you can do to feed that urge, even in all this heat.
That’s right, Florida gardeners — it’s July! It’s not time to get back into the garden quite yet, but it IS time to start collecting supplies and sowing seeds indoors and under cover.
It’s time to get ready for the fall garden. Start stocking up on your favorite seeds and get cracking. It’s go time.
It’s Time to Get Seeding!
We had a ridiculously cold winter and a frighteningly dry spring. It’s even been a dry summer.
While you may have given up on your tomatoes months ago, you can certainly try again now.
While you can grow nearly anything between September and December in Florida (at least Central and South Florida), the time to start long-season crops is right now.
Tomato Time
Start tomato seeds in mid-July through Mid August in order to plant out into the garden or containers in September.
You’ll want to be sure that the temperatures have dropped low enough that tomatoes can flower and form fruit, so keep an eye on the weather.
The best way to be ready to have well-developed plants to add to the garden as early as feasible is to start them indoors in July.
You can grow your seedlings under cover and pot them up as they grow for up to three months if necessary. In containers, you can better control their exposure to scalding sun and downpouring rains.
We’ll be selling a new line of vegetable starters suited for Florida gardens in our nursery. If you’re not nearby, we invite you to check out our seeds for sale. We’ve curated the best varieties for the hot & humid Southeastern states, Gulf Coast region, and blistering hot Southwest garden.
And all of our tomato seeds come with a free pack of companion French Marigolds, because we know the tragedy that is root knot nematodes.
Peppers
Everyone loves peppers because they’re easy to grow, come in a wide variety of colors, and have different flavor profiles for a range worldwide cusines.
But boy, can they be lazy.
Peppers can take forever to take off. I don’t know how many times I’ve stared pointedly at cell trays of peppers wondering whether to even bother misting them after two weeks.
Because they do take some time to get going, start them now so you’ll have time to plant them out as early as possible.
They don’t like the cold at all, so if we get another chilly December, it will be nice to get some sweet bells before then.
Check out our California Wonder pepper seeds to plant in July in soil blocks or cells.
Protecting Your Seedlings
Sowing under cover in Florida isn’t an issue of protecting delicate seedlings from the cold. Here, it’s a matter of preventing them from getting washed out by heavy rainstorms.
Starting seeds out of the elements can help keep them from burning up when the heat index is in the triple digits and even your hot peppers are getting scalded.
Whether you start them on a patio, lanai, or indoors, make sure they get plenty of light once the seeds germinate.
Since the long-season peppers and tomatoes like to germinate in warm temperatures, keep your seed starting trays somewhere where they’ll stay at a minimum of 75°F.
They’ll also need some airflow, which not only reduces the chance of dampening off but also stimulates the growth of strong, sturdy stems.
What Else to Plant in July in Florida?
Along with starting your Fall crops by seed, there are also a few heat-loving veggies you can direct sow. Summer is great for planting Okra and Southern Peas. If you’re not a big fan of black-eyed peas or cowpeas, you can also sow them as cover crops to improve your soil for fall planting out.
If you’ve already sown or purchased starts of tropical vegetables or Mediterranean herbs, you can add them to your garden. You’ll find exotic veggies like Okinawa spinach or Longevity spinach at many Florida nurseries. We sell Okinawa spinach starts too.
Make sure your Mediterranean herbs have plenty of drainage, as they can get root rot from our persistent (and seemingly unending) rainfall.
And don’t forget to plant flowers! Many annual flowers you can add to the garden will attract pollinators and beneficial insects that help nurture and protect your crops. Some will grow and bloom in just 60 to 75 days. Quick-growing annual flowers add beauty and diversity to your garden, and many provide critical root exudates for your soil.
Here’s what you can start sowing in July in Florida, as well as other Gulf Coast states in the U.S>
South Florida (Zones 10 to 11)
If you’re in South Florida, and some parts of coastal Central Florida, the weather is steaming, even dangerous.
However, it changes fast, so it’s a good idea to be ready with healthy vegetable plants starts so you’re ready to plant out in September.
Start under cover (plant out in 6 to 8 weeks)
- Broccoli
- Collards
- Eggplants
- Peppers, sweet and hot
- Tomatoes
Direct sow in the garden
- Malabar Spinach
- Okra
- Pumpkins
- Roselle
- Southern Peas
Veggie starts to plant out now
- Boniato slips
- Chaya
- Longevity spinach
- Mint
- Okinawa spinach
- Oregano
- Sweet potato slips
Flowers to plant in July
- Celosia
- Coleus
- Gladiolas
- Pentas
- Scarlet Sage
- Torenia
Central Florida (Zone 9)
July in Central Florida is still the height of summer, so make sure you keep your delicate seedlings protected from rainstorms and sunscald.
However, it’s also a good time to start seeds for those fall vegetables that can benefit from time to mature before planting out.
Start under cover (plant out in 6 to 8 weeks)
- Brocolli
- Collards
- Eggplant
- Peppers, sweet and hot
- Tomatoes
Direct sow in the garden
- Malabar spinach
- Okra
- Pumpkins
- Roselle
Veggie starts to plant out now
- Boniato slips
- Chaya
- Katuk
- Longevity spinach
- Okinawa spinach
- Rosemary
- Sweet potato slips
Flowers to plant in July
- Celosia
- Coleus
- Coreopsis
- Gladiolas
- Gomphrena
- Kalanchoe
- Pentas
- Scarlet Sage
- Torenia
North Florida (Zone 8)
While the gardening schedule in North Florida is more similar to the one for the rest of the country, July is not the time to change allegiances.
However, if you live in the northern part of the Sunshine State, that time is soon. So, you’re safe to start more of your Fall veggies in July.
Start under cover (plant out in 6 to 8 weeks)
- Broccoli
- Chinese cabbage
- Chives
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Winter squash
Direct sow in the garden
- Cucumbers
- Pumpkins
- Roselle
- Southern peas
Veggie starts to plant out now
- Chaya
- Katuk
- Longevity spinach
- Okinawa spinach
- Sweet potato slips
Flowers to plant in July
- Bee balm
- Bulbine
- Celosia
- Coleus
- Gaillardia
- Gladiolas
- Gomphrena
- Impatiens
- Kalanchoe
- Pentas
- Scarlet Sage
- Society garlic
- Vinca
- Zinnias
Pace Yourself When Gardening in Florida in July
Don’t try to start everything at once. Remember, it’s still very hot out there, and it looks like it will stay dry. So, no regular summer storms to cool things off a bit. There’s still a risk of heat exhaustion and skin damage from UV rays.
The wonderful thing about gardening in Florida is our mild autumn and the length of our growing season. Start with vegetables that take the longest time to mature, such as tomatoes and peppers. In Central and South Florida, you can usually plant these out as late as October and overwinter them by covering them on cold nights.
I’m never happy to see the days get shorter, but I’m always excited for the Fall gardening season. To make the most of it, you can get many of your vegetables and flowers started in July.
Happy gardening.
We have done container gardening for the past 3 years but this past spring garden was one problem after another. What can we do now to prepare for our fall garden? We had very few bees and butterflies for pollution. The soil was new , but has slugs in it now. Cutworms was a really bad problem! Any help is much appreciated. Thank you .
Hi Patricia,
Container gardening is a great way to deal with the poor soil in Florida. I started out here with containers and still use them a lot for food production.
It seems that this last year was tough for others as well. That winter was harsh, and it never even feels like we got a spring. It went from freezing to blistering in two weeks!
If you are still planning your fall garden for containers, decide what you’re going to plant this year and check when you should start them under cover. Your soil may need a little refreshing. You can reuse the same soil, just dig in some slow release organic fertilizer (I recommend Espoma or Dr. Earth). If the soil feels heavy, you can add some perlite or vermiculite to lighten it up so the roots get some aeration.
I have no secret for cutworms — they’re awful. However, I can tell you the Sluggo does REALLY well on slugs and snails. I’m a believer!
I hope this is some help.