What to Plant in North Florida

North Florida Region 1 is subjected to fluctuation in temperature throughout the year and planting should be scheduled accordingly. Unlike other regions in the state, North Florida is exposed to a freeze period every year. This makes the survival of tropical plants very difficult if not impossible unless they are moved indoors during frost. However, the tropical look can be achieved through planting some palms and subtropical plants alongside the locally adapted shrubs and trees with foliage. Following a gardening calendar for North Florida is essential for a healthy garden and an abundance of crops.

Choose Plants Carefully From A Reputable Nursery

Be careful with planting citrus even though it may become tempting when your neighborhood home and garden center offers them for sale. A reputable local nursery is the best place to receive advice on the type of hardy citrus plants that can survive the freezing weather.

Another important factor for successful gardening is knowing the type of soil you are working with. The mostly sandy soil in North Florida hardly offers any nutrients while draining quickly and leave plants dry. Even though you thought the rainfall of a few days ago was sufficient. Also, be aware of root-knot nematodes infestation. These parasites drain the plants of nutrients destroying the younger plants and lower yields for more mature ones.

North Florida Planting Calendar

January Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – It is a good time to feed all varieties of citrus trees including orange, lemons, limes, and tangerines

  • Pruning – Shape all plants that are not flowering

  • Planting Flowers– There are a couple of months left of the official cold season in North Florida and the cold temperature should be considered when planting new vegetation. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of beautiful flowering plants that will survive the cold weather while adding some bright colors to your garden. Some examples of these plants are pansy, snapdragons, petunias, and violas or violets

  • Planting Crops – Perfect time to start planting cold-weather crops such as carrots, broccoli, lettuce, and kale

February Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Perfect time to feed all roses

  • Pruning – Shape, and size the roses

  • Planting Flowers – Since there is still a good chance for cold snaps, when planting flowers the January examples should be followed. This is also a good time to plant bulbs, and annual flowers capable of surviving one or two cold snaps

  • Planting Crops – Continue with the January planting schedule and start planting seeds for potatoes in the soil or containers. Planting crops in 2 weeks intervals will produce an uninterrupted harvest on later days

March Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – March is a good time to start fertilizing all palms. Feed them with low release fertilizers and keep them hydrated. Most other plants like azaleas can be fertilized in March as well

  • Pruning – Prune all flowering plants like azaleas and camellias after they are finished blooming

  • Planting Flowers – Get the garden ready for spring by planting show flowing plants like violas, dusty miller, or angelonia. Also, March is the perfect time for planting bulbs that bloom in the summertime

  • Planting Crops – Perfect time for planting berry plants like strawberry and raspberry. For vegetable crops, you can start planting from seed the beans, peas, radishes, and spinach. The tomatoes and squash can also be sown directly with little care and preparedness for a possible cold snap

April Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Mid-April is the time to attend to the northern lawn by fertilizing and fixing the bare spots through raking and seeding

  • Pruning – If azaleas have completed their blooming, prune and trim them down

  • Planting Flowers – April is the perfect time for planting marigolds, petunias, coleus, and tropical plants like calla lilies or caladiums as well as dividing the perennials and bulbs

  • Planting Crops – Plant cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs in April

May Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – It’s time for fertilization of the lawn, best way to feed the lawn is to fertilize with half-pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Warm weather brings pests and lawn watch for signs of chinch bugs. Look for patches of dead grass in sunny areas near sidewalks and treat the damaged area with appropriate insecticides. Also, most mites and thrips start showing up in May. Check out tomato plants for hornworms

  • Pruning – May is the start of hurricane seasons, trim all trees and cut down all dead limbs.

  • Planting Flowers – Plant warm weather annuals like zinnia, salvia, and angelonia

  • Planting Crops – May is a good time for planting most herbs and creating a beautiful herb garden

June Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – The rainy season in North Florida has started and most fertilization is prohibited in most areas. Follow the experts’ advice and refrain from fertilizing during these months.

  • Pruning – Continue pruning large trees and remove loose garden waste from your yard to help preparation efforts in case of a hurricane or tropical storm. Harvest all fruits as soon as they ripen and dispose of vegetable plants that have past their productivity period

  • Planting Flowers – Perennials love the June sun, make your garden colorful by planting perennials like grasses and black-eyed Susan. It is also a good time for planting other colorful plants like coleus, portulaca, and celosia. Also, the rainy season means an abundance of water for trees which make is perfect for planting palms

  • Planting Crops – Plant watermelons, summer/winter squash, southern peas, okra, and eggplant

July Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Apply iron to lawns by mixing 2 ounces of ferrous sulfate in 3 to 5 gallon of water for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. Make up for the limited fertilization by clearing the dead flowers from annual plants, deadheading.

  • Pruning – Azaleas will be blooming soon and July is the last call for pruning them without harming the flower buds

  • Planting Flowers – Plant gladiolus, society garlic, azaleas, and bulbs

  • Planting Crops – Get ready for harvesting pumpkins in October by planting pumpkin seeds in July

August Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Look for damages done to the lawn by armyworm and webworms. The affected area appear to be mowed very low due to these caterpillar-like warms going on a feeding frenzy on grass

  • Pruning – Mums will have bigger and fuller flowers by little trimming in August. All other plants will also benefit from a little trimming and deadheading in August

  • Planting Flowers – Plant long-lasting annual that flourish in a hot and humid environment such as begonias, coleus, evolvulus, gaillardia, and lantana

  • Planting Crops – August is time to plant lima beans, corn, spinach, peppers, and cucumbers

September Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Fertilize shrubs and newly planted trees. Look for a brown-patch disease which is a type of fungus common on St Augustine and Zoysia lawns. Simply look for circular areas with diameters of 5 to 6 feet where grass has died. Apply an appropriate fungicide to control the disease.

  • Pruning – Generally the Fall season is not a good time for pruning even in states like Florida that trees hardly lose their leaves. Leave all pruning for late winter or early spring.

  • Planting Flowers – Add fresh colors to your annuals by planting begonias, ageratum, and zinnia

  • Planting Crops – Fall is the perfect time to start planting the strawberry bushes. For vegetable garden plant carrots and radishes

October Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Apply the last round of fertilizer to citrus trees. Like September, keep an eye on your grass for brown patch fungus.

  • Pruning – For the frost-prone region, move all tender tropical plants inside. For perennials, wait till the first frost is passed to prune them.

  • Planting Flowers – October is a good time for planting roses, shrubs, and trees. Also, you will enjoy the flowers of daffodils, crocus, and tulips in April if they planted in October. Other flowers to plant in October include carnations, statice, pansy, sweet peas, snapdragon, and calendula.

  • Planting Crops -Plant greens and root vegetables in frost-free regions. October is the perfect time for planting cabbage, lettuce, collards, mustard greens, as well as carrots, beets, cauliflower, and garlic.

November Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Fertilize the newly planted ryegrass if it was not fed at the beginning. Use either 16-4-8 or 16-0-16 fertilizer in the ratio of 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn

  • Pruning – Cut perennials and annuals after the very first hard freeze and make sure to remove all dead foliage. This is instrumental in reducing the risk of diseases from reoccurring next time around. Also, spread a thick layer of winter mulch around shrubs, trees, and perennials. This will prevent the ground from freezing and thawing during the winter which could damage the plants.

  • Planting Flowers – Plant bulbs that flower in the spring, if you haven’t done already.

  • Planting Crops – Strawberries should be planted during the first 2 weeks of February. Also, kale and spinach can be planted in November.

December Planting in North Florida

  • Fertilization – Most areas of North Florida experience freezing ground in December and should wait for any fertilizing tasks

  • Pruning – Continue regular cleaning of the flower beds, around the trees and shrubs

  • Planting Flowers – There is still time to plants bulbs like daffodils and tulips for spring-flowering if the ground is not completely frozen yet.

  • Planting Crops – With icy and frozen ground this is not a great time for outdoor planting crops