September heralds the beginning of the main gardening season in Florida. The temperature finally tapers off enough that cool-weather plants can survive the heat of midday. And bonus points: it’s still fine enough for warm-season crops. September may be the reason Floridians can garden at all.
What to Plant in September in Florida
If you’re wondering what to plant this September, don’t tarry when it comes to sowing summer vegetables. It’s still not too late to start tomatoes, eggplant, summer squashes, and plant tropical spinaches, like Okinawa spinach.
Depending on your zone, if you can get these warm-season vegetables well established before your first cold snap, you can usually overwinter them by covering them whenever nights drop below 40°F.
With night temperatures in the 70s, you can also start planting those brassicas, which is a relief. Some, like broccoli and cauliflower, take quite a long time to grow, so the earlier you start them, the better.
I’ve found a lot of success with the Piracicaba broccoli, which is a heat-tolerant, non-heading variety. I’ve grown it as late as May in 10a, and unless you really feel the need for big broccoli heads, the flavor and quality are superb. Best of all, these guys really deliver! They can take some time to start producing, but once they do, you’ll get tiny little broccoli heads for months and months and months.
Speaking of Strawberries
Halfway through September is when you should decide whether or not to grow strawberries this year.
You CAN keep last years strawberries alive through summer if you’re willing to put in the work. Keep them fertized, relocate them to shady spots to keep them from scorching. But heavy rains and high humidity may wear away at the plants over time.
Many nurseries will have bare roots on sale, and some will even have starter plants as well. Order early to make sure you can get your hands on them. I’ve used Parksdale Farm before and highly recommend them. I no longer sell them myself since I moved to the Midwest.
The important part is to make sure you get the right variety. Some will even say “Florida” right on the label. Look for “Florida Brilliance” or “Sweet Sensation” to start off. Check out the Florida Strawberry growing info on the IFAS website too.
Grow ALL the Veg!
A quick list of veggies you can start in September includes cabbages, both the Asian cabbages like bok choi and Napa, and the boring old round-head types.
You can also start some of the sturdier leafy greens, like mustards, arugula, kale, and chard. Depending on your zone and microclimate, it may still be a tad too hot for lettuces, except for those bred specifically for hot climates, like the Hawai’ian Manoa and Israeli Jericho Romaine.
It may be worth the risk if your family eats a lot of lettuce, as mine does. Especially if you do loose-leaf types with a cut-and-come-again approach, including succession sowing.
Fall Gardening in Florida Offers So Much
Along with both cool and warm-season vegetables, the fall gardening season is also an amazing time to plant flowers.
Why flowers?
They’re pretty, they add color, they offer charm and beauty.
They’re also a critical boost to local wildlife, likes bees and butterflies, wasps and other beneficial insects.
