Vegetable Gardening in South Florida
Being Florida-friendly doesn't mean you have to suffer dry, barren landscapes. You can conserve water even when you grow your own food. Follow guidelines to plant the right vegetable or fruit at the right time of year and in the right spot in your garden or urban farm. Apply all the remaining FFL principles and you should enjoy a colorful and bountiful harvest all year long.
What’s on the menu? Here are guidelines from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. When selecting your seeds or seedlings, remember that Fort Lauderdale is in Zone 10 of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
| Name | When to Grown | Name | When to Grow |
|
Bush Beans |
August- April |
Lettuce |
September- January |
|
Lima Beans |
August- April |
Mustard |
September- March |
|
Pole Beans |
August-April |
Okra |
August- September |
|
Beets |
October-April |
Onions |
September- November |
|
Broccoli |
September- January |
English Peas |
September- February |
|
Cabbage |
September- January |
Southern Peas |
August-April |
|
Cantaloupe |
August-September, February- March |
Peppers |
August- March |
|
Carrots |
October-February |
Sweet Potatoes |
February- June |
|
Celery |
October- January |
Pumpkin |
January-February, August- September |
|
Collards |
August- February |
Radish |
October- March |
|
Sweet Corn |
August- March |
Spinach |
October- January |
|
Cucumbers |
September- March |
Summer Squash |
January- March, September- October |
|
Egg Plant |
December- February, August-October |
Winter Squash |
January- February, September |
|
Endive |
September- January |
Strawberry |
October- November |
|
Kale |
September- January |
Turnips |
October- February |
|
Kohlrabi |
October- February |
Watermelon |
January- March, August- September |
How is growing your own food sustainable?
Remember that sustainability has three components: people, planet and profit.
When you grow your own food,you are eliminating the pollution it would take to transport the food to your grocery store and then to your home. In many cases, you will also be using fewer fertilizers and pesticides. Because of the effort involved, chances are that you will eat what your harvest and waste less. When you do have too much, you'll probably share it with your friends and neighbors or local food banks, and that's good for the community. Some of you will even sell your home-grown vegetables at local markets, keeping profits right here in our city. That's sustainability at work!