Essential Gardening Tips for Fall in Florida

Fall is right around the corner ladies and gentlemen and Florida is not like most other states. If you are into gardening or new to the area and do not know what to plant or how to garden during our fall season, I would stick around.

Gardening in Florida during the fall is a wonderful time, especially if you start it in August. During the times of August and September, it is best to plant bush and pole beans, corn, eggplant, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. Then in October and November it is best to plant things like beets, Brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, and strawberries. Different areas of Florida are more suitable for different plants to harvest because some might not be suited to that specific subtropic climate. It is recommended to read “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.”

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

When it comes to preparing your soil for harvest, you need to understand the type of soil we have. Throughout most of Central Florida, the sands are sandier, so you do have to work in organic matter around three weeks ahead of planting anything and if the organic matter is compost, you have to make sure there are no large clumps because they can contain diseases or affect growth. In Florida there is typically a lot of rain in the summer until around October, so you don’t have to worry too much about watering your plants, but when it comes to the drier period, check the soil a couple inches down near the roots to make sure it Is still damp but not overly wet. 

Another thing to look out for when you decide to garden in Florida is the pests and diseases. Make sure you have a regular routine searching for any kind of pests that could harm your vegetables. That includes looking for the pests and diseases on the plant you buy If you don’t plant it as a seed. Some of the things you can do to prevent the pests and diseases in your garden is to use good gardening mulch, keep out weeds, water the plants in the morning, dispose the diseased plants, hand-pick insects, clean up the crop refuse early, and rotate your garden areas. 

Quick facts

• Florida is known for its citrus, harvesting or growing and during the months October through June it is in season. Visit Ferris Grove when it open to purchase fresh citrus.
• Florida’s second leading crop is tomatoes.
• Non-citrus fruits also grown in Florida are bananas and papayas.
• Florida ranked first among all states in sod value of sales with sales totaling $184 million.
• Florida led the country in sugarcane production in 2017 with 15.8 million tons of sugarcane for sugar.